Lovely Monsters
by Rainbow Raver Waffles
Summary: The story of Akane Sachiko Igami, mostly called So, newly appointed captain of Squad Nine. Watch her adventure through life, love, and loss and see the changes in her relationships with those around her. Hiked up the rating for future violence.
1. A Lovely Day

**So, here it is. This is the first story I'll be posting here and it's a KenpachiXOC fic. For those of you who may have reservations on this, thinking I'll end up writing him totally out of character, I promise I'm going to try my best not to. This will be a multi-chapter fic and it will progress in the manner that I find appropriate. To many it may seem slow, but I'd like to remind you that this is Kenpachi we're talking about. He's not some fluffy, hopeless romantic searching for love, he's a warrior first and foremost and it will take no less than another warrior to catch his attention and hold it. **

**Also, these first few chapters are going to be very Shuhei centric. You should understand why after you start reading. **

**Anyway, hope you like it and, in the pursuit of keeping myself from being sued, let me make it known that I do not own Bleach, I am simply a devoted, loving fan, and I am making absolutely no profit off of this.**

Lovely Monsters – Chapter 1 A Lovely Day

The weather was mild, sky soft blue and dotted with fluffy white clouds. Across the Seireitei peace was abound. The number of hollows escaping from Hueco Mundo was minimal and the workload for squads and their captains was also minimal, giving everyone a relaxed demeanor.

After that whole mess with the winter war they could all use some down time but, how much was too much? The calm had lasted for almost six months now and with that calm came a serious boredom. The only thing worse than a world shattering, life threatening enemy lingering just beyond reach was a crop of bored shinigami, especially where the captains were concerned.

Among them and their subordinates rumors could start to circulate, and they did, oh how they did. A few of the ones that had come to being, and been promptly debunked, included word that Matsumoto was having a love affair with Omaeda, Kurotsuchi was releasing monsters into fourth and eleventh squad barracks at night, Yumichika shaved his head bald while drunk and was now wearing a wig, and that Unohana and Yamamoto had conceived a love child and were now trying to hide it. None of these, as previously mentioned, actually happened, thankfully, but there was one rumor about to come true.

About a month earlier talk had started about a possible replacement captain for the ninth squad. Shuhei hadn't been denying or confirming either way, mostly because he didn't know, but today, this lovely, lovely bit of today held the answer. He was, in fact, going to receive a new captain, was in the process of it actually.

In the usual meeting hall all captains and their lieutenants stood. They'd come to line just a moment ago, Yamamoto at the head, Shuhei beside him. It was nerve wracking to be at the front but thrilling all the same. He was excited to see who this newcomer would be, who he would be taking orders from now. He wasn't sure if they'd live up to the memory of Tosen, though the man had betrayed them Shuhei still found it hard to kill off all the admiration he'd built up over the years, but he was willing to see where things would go.

The nervous mulling, the light buzz of whispered voices, died down as the Captain General struck his staff against the ground, it was time.

"Come forward" the elder commanded in his echoing voice.

Everyone watched carefully, eyes on the door that was swinging open slowly. They all had their speculations on what this new captain would be like. Someone strong obviously, to reach captains rank you had to be strong, but what else? Would they be cool and level headed like Tosen used to be? Perhaps brash and hard headed like Zaraki? Gentle and intelligent like Unohana? The possibilities were endless when they had no idea what to expect, and that's why the reveal was so much more shocking than anyone could have imagined.

She shuffled in with her head bowed, hands before her, gripping at a lock of thick black hair. He could hardly see her, a petite thing swimming in her uniform, her hair a shiny black cloak that fell to her knees, pinned up with several ornamental clips and clasps that chimed occasionally with her slow steps. Her bangs covered her eyes with the way she was looking down, along with most of her face, leaving only her pale hands to be seen.

Her footfalls were light and as she drew closer he was able to appreciate her small stature. She was at least a foot shorter than him! At least. If he had to make an estimate he'd say about four six, really he would be off by two inches as she was actually four eight, and she couldn't weigh more than one hundred pounds, if that!

He stared at her, incredulous for a moment, but shook himself out of it quickly. It didn't matter how shocked he was, he couldn't be rude, for all he knew there was a powerhouse in that body, for all he knew she was completely out of her mind.

"Akane Sachiko Igami" Yamamoto addressed her and her head shot up, hair flaring around her. Shuhei looked directly at her face, her gaze on the elder beside him giving him the perfect opportunity to scope her out discreetly. Her eyes were blue, bright blue and large, framed by thick black lashes. Her face was just as pale as her hands though a steady blush was spread across her rounded cheeks, creeping into her ears and down her neck. She looked nervous, pink lips parted slightly, almost in an o shape. She looked so nervous…

She was nervous. Akane, or So as she preferred to be called, had never been particularly good in gatherings of this type. Professional and focused on her… mostly it was the focused on her part that she wasn't good at. She could handle the professional part just fine; she was a professional person most of the time… okay some of the time, anyway, that she could do. Her downfall was the focus, she didn't handle attention well, she was shy, painfully so and this was so very far out of her line of comfort. She thought she might faint honestly, and she wasn't a girl who took faint easily.

The Captain General addressed her again, speaking of why they were here, the responsibilities now bestowed upon her by taking up this job. She nodded along with him almost imperceptibly as the others gazed at her, some to the point of gawking at her. She went oblivious, but Shuhei didn't.

The two most disturbed by her seemed to be Zaraki and Kurotsuchi. Both were sporting sneers of serious disapproval that looked eerily similar and that made Shuhei's stomach flip uncomfortably. He wondered if the two men were aware of how much they looked alike at the moment and made a note to never, ever mention it to them. Last thing he wanted was a fight with either, or for them to get together and decide to gang up on him.

He shuddered at the thought and let his eyes trail back to his soon to be captain. She was speaking now, her voice a soft whisper that he had to strain to hear.

"I swear" she began, her voice a gentle mumble "to uphold and adhere to all responsibilities and rules as dictated by my position as captain." She paused to take a soft breath. "I promise to do my best in protecting and cooperating with my squad and to lead it with integrity and all my given wisdom."

Shuhei watched a slight change happen in her then. As the last words left her mouth, her gaze slid up farther, her eyes locking with Yamamoto's. She worried her bottom lip gently for a moment before releasing, her eyes full of a solid resolve, a firmness he hadn't expected so suddenly. Though she was nervous she also seemed determined… Maybe he wouldn't have so much to worry about after all?

"Very well" the elder said. "Then I appoint you, Akane Igami, Captain of the Ninth Squad." He presented the captain's haori to her and she took it, holding it gingerly in her small hands. She really had it, it was there, tangible. She was touching it, feeling it. With a shuddering breath she swung it around, sliding it onto her small body with a flair gained from constant costumed dancing and allowed herself a soft smile.

"Lieutenant Hisagi" he looked up as he was addressed. "Show your captain the way… Dismissed!"

Everyone was quick to shuffle out, though she stood still, watching them all go. The room had cleared out before she dared to move, shocking Shuhei out of his third or fourth laps of staring at her.

She'd only taken a short step forward, faltered after it and tugged at her hair again. It was awfully long he noticed again, and swayed slowly near her knees. She seemed to like tugging at it like that… or maybe it was just a nervous habit, kind of like biting your nails or something.

She made a soft noise and he kicked his train of thought back on track.

"So, uh…" Shuhei coughed at the awkwardness of it all. "Wanna… get going?"

She looked up at him with a sudden turn of her head that looked a little less than comfortable and settled those wide eyes on him. It was a kind of creepy if he was going to be completely honest with himself. Not Mayuri creepy of course, but creepy all the same... More like doll creepy, okay he really needed to stop letting his thoughts wander.

He focused back on her, completely, and just managed to catch her nodding, hair bobbing about around her head. She didn't say anything though, which heightened the creep factor, and he took to walking quickly.

She shuffled behind him, trying to keep up with his long stride. As per usual the lengthy legs of her uniform made her stumble and as they exited the building she crashed into the wall, bouncing back from the stone to land with a thud on her back, two of the more ornate clasps in her hair ringing softly as their charms collided with each other and the floor.

She yelped and gasped, air effectively knocked out of her. Shuhei swore, turning quickly on his heel to rush to her side. He knelt there, propping her up slowly.

"A-Are you alright Captain?" he asked, wincing as she coughed.

"Mh" she nodded and waved a dainty hand at him dismissively, eyes squeezed shut as she leaned forward and slowly rose to her feet. He helped her as much as he could of course, which wasn't much since she'd all but sprung up, or at least tried to.

Rubbing her forehead gently she stepped out the door, waving Shuhei over. He took the hint and kept on, now glancing back occasionally to make sure she didn't fall again.

She really did need to get clothes that fit some time. It was such a bother when she fell like that, it always hurt and it most definitely was embarrassing. Even now she could feel the hot blush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. It was lovely, _really. _Her first day on the job, her first few minutes, and her lieutenant probably already thought she was an incompetent klutz. Heaving a sigh she grabbed onto her hair again, a larger bit this time, and wrung it tightly in her hands. She really needed to cut it; she really, really needed to cut it.

"Can you uh…" Shuhei coughed again and she looked up at him, she'd almost forgotten he was there. "Can you use shunpo, Captain?" He looked over his shoulder at her and caught her nod, hoping that was the go ahead to use it. She could follow him, right? He sped off and was at the barracks not long after. Thankfully she had followed; kept up perfectly fine she had, and was standing beside him.

Her gaze was settled on the buildings of the ninth division, her eyes wide with wonder. She could hardly believe it. She was a captain, she was really a captain. As they walked in, heads turning as they went, she let herself bask in the amazement of it all. She was quite disconnected, unaware of the looks she was getting. Most of them were of disbelief, some of humor, but most of simple and sheer confusion. After all, she was quite tiny and feminine, a large change from their previous captain and contrast to their lieutenant, and she was unarmed.

But, again, she didn't notice. She was oblivious to all around her till they reached the office. It was the standard deal, though perhaps a little more inclined to the writing type with its own printing apparatus and bookshelf probably much larger than was necessary. She liked it quite a bit and went instantly over to inspect it. The books there were numerous and varied and she wondered how many of them she was allowed to read. Surely some of them had to belong to the previous captain…

"Your name is Akane Igami right?"

She turned from her observation to gaze at Shuhei, again she'd almost forgotten about him, and nodded.

"I prefer going by So, or Soichi, but Igami or Akane are dually fine… I'd prefer you not call me Sachiko though… Your name is Shuhei Hisgai, correct?" She tilted her head to the side and gave a slight smile. Shuhei returned it slowly. She was still pretty awkward, her speech was slow and quiet, and she seemed to be trying to fold in on herself with the way she slumped forward now, but she was kind of cute when she smiled like that. She looked a lot like a little kid, a kid that was shy and maybe a little scared but curious all the same.

He nodded at her question and managed to retain his expression. "Nice to meet you Captain" he said, holding his hand out.

She grasped it, her grip was firmer than he thought it might be, and shook. "It's nice to meet you too."

They released and she turned to her new desk, brushing her hand slowly against the polished wood before walking around, dropping down in the seat. She sunk into it and her feet didn't touch the floor but she was used to things like that and didn't mind. Most things were a little too large for her and she'd long ago decided that too large trumped too small by quite a bit.

Really wanting to settle in she rested her arms on the desk and rested her head on top of them. It was quite the comfy desk; she could see herself sleeping at it often and began to drift off even then. She felt her eyes grow heavy and her thoughts begin to fuzz. She probably would have fallen asleep right then and there if it hadn't been for Shuhei speaking up. Really, how often was she going to forget about him?

"Uh… Captain?" He sounded rather unsure of himself and seemed to stiffen when she raised her head to look at him. "Are you alright?"

Was she alright… She smiled at him, it was a timid smile, and nodded her head from side to side. Though he didn't know it yet, that was her trademarked way of saying 'fine, just sleepy.'

"Alright… well, is there anything you need?" He felt odd, having such a hard time communicating with her. She was just kind of weird and, even though he was used to weird people, he wasn't used to weird people who didn't talk and who stared blankly at nothing. Though Tousen was never overly chatty he at least got yes or no responses out of the man, but Igami seemed to be trying to avoid as much conversation as possible.

She shrugged, further punctuating his point, and then opened her mouth to speak in that soft, soft voice. "Tell me 'bout the squad? I need t' know 'ow ta do my job I s'pose."

He was quite taken aback by her sudden change in speech. She'd gone from that slow mumble of full words to a quicker, more broken tone, her words falling apart into contractions, just barely avoiding running together. He wondered if the change was conscious.

It wasn't, not completely anyway.

"About the squad? And your job?" Shuhei rubbed at the back of his neck as he regarded her, trying to figure a starting point. "Well" he sat at his own desk and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "It's mostly paperwork when there's nothing to do out in the field. Not much Hollow activity lately so yeah… mostly paperwork." He nodded and gave a nervous laugh that she didn't seem to realize was nervous and smiled back at him nodding.

She waved at him gently in a 'go on' motion, elbow propped on the desk, head in her hand as she listened.

Shuhei suppressed a sigh and continued to list off anything and everything he thought might be important. Since she wasn't elaborating on her question any more he was shooting in the dark and starting to feel mildly annoyed with her. Still, he continued on, it didn't matter how odd she was, she was his captain now and he would respect her. He just really hoped she'd open up eventually and knew deep down that this would be a very, very interesting experience.

**Well, that's that, chapter one. Questions, Comments, did I make an error somewhere? I won't beg for reviews but if you have something to say, granted it's either nice or constructive, say it. I promise I won't get butthurt if you point out my comma splices, I'm sure they're there, they're my biggest problem, and if I confused one there for another ( like if I put there instead of they're or their) please, please tell me in caps because I need to bludgeon myself. XD Otherwise though, please don't text scream at me as I'm sensitive to screaming~ Any questions about So herself ask me or check my dA (that's deviant art in case you don't know) and search A-Little-Bit-Crazy or Akane Sachiko Igami. Her profile along with the first chapter of the story are there... And yeah, I think that's it. Happy New Year~**


	2. Tea for Three, Or Four, Maybe Five?

** Here's chapter two. Hope you like it. Oh, and to the one person who's subscribed, thanks. =) It means quite a lot to me and I only hope that others will like this too and that I don't disappoint you. **

**Anyway, in the pursuit of keeping myself from being sued, let me make it known that I do not own Bleach, I am simply a devoted, loving fan, and I am making absolutely no profit off of this.**

Lovely Monsters- Chapter 2

It had taken So less than two days to settle in comfortably. She knew the inner workings of her office now, had her things in proper places and was able to shuffle about the room quickly and work efficiently. As it was she was working right now, signing away at official documents that she was only halfway reading.

Shuhei noticed yesterday that his new captain tended to nod of periodically and then snap back. She was doing it right now actually, head tilting to the right, eyes lidded as her hand stopped, holding the brush just over the paper. He paused in his own work, watching as her breathing evened out and she slipped into sleep.

Tiny fingers loosening their grip she dropped the ink splattered brush and blotched the paper unknowingly, a soft snore starting up from her throat.

He sighed. Should he wake her up? What was the proper etiquette in these kinds of situations? He was at a loss really, what do you do with someone like this?

Passing a hand through his messed hair Shuhei went back to work. He figured it better just to leave her alone to sleep; she'd be less likely to get mad at him for letting her nap than if he woke her. Still though, he supposed he should ask her at some point what to do if she fell asleep again. It sure would be easier if she wasn't so… odd, creepy, strange… he really didn't know what to call her but it definitely wasn't normal. Besides that first day she'd hardly said anything to him, just little nods and gestures that discouraged him from pursuing any idle conversation. He wondered if that's what she had been trying to accomplish.

"Ah!"

The shrill shriek from across the room startled him and Shuhei shot his head up. So was no longer in her chair, instead she was sprawled on the floor, only her head, arms and shoulders visible from the spot where he sat.

"Are you alright Captain?" Shuhei asked standing quickly from his desk.

"Mmh" She made that noise he'd come to associate with yes and okay. Sure, it had only been two days but he was bright enough to catch on to the simpler of expressions and movements.

Groggily, she sat up, drawing herself to her knees. Once sitting she rubbed at her eyes and gave a wide, squeaking yawn.

Shuhei suppressed a sigh. For all the freakish things she'd done so far she'd accompanied them with cute moments like this, moments where she looked so much like a child in her oversized uniform, those big blue eyes full of a clouded, dreamy sleepiness. It frustrated him because it made it hard for him to fully dislike her, not that he was one to just up and hate someone, but usually he could make a solid distinction between people he liked and people he didn't. He didn't like her but he didn't quite dislike her either, not yet anyway.

He walked over slowly, not sure if she was okay with his close proximity, and held out a hand.

She looked up at it, and him, then smiled and rested her hand in his. It was so small Shuhei observed, and So felt that his hand was large. She let him hoist her up, being sure to catch herself in time so as to not ram into his chest, and then hopped up onto her desk.

She smiled big at him, shoulders drawn up, eyes closed in her usual look of thanks.

Shuhei guessed what it meant, correctly amazingly enough, and gave a nervous laugh rubbing at the back of his neck. "Ah… yeah… you're welcome?"

For another few sparse moments he stood, staring off at the other side of the room, but when he realized that she didn't mean to say, or rather do, anything else he returned to his desk.

While he resumed work, discreetly gazing at her, she readjusted the combs that had gone askew in the fall. She wanted to make sure each was perfectly set, when it came to her hair everything had to be perfect, and that there were no tangles or cracks. They were sturdy combs but they were one of her favorite sets and she'd be very sad if one broke… Not to mention she wanted to avoid bad luck.

Thinking about it she took a longer moment to examine the one in her hand. Its ivory base contrasted rather prettily with the dark black of her hair and the painted blue swirls and glitter dusting were nice accents that added a bit of flare and color. She'd never been much for dressy clothing or gaudy jewelry but she absolutely loved hair accents. Honestly it was one of only two reasons that she let it stay as long as it was, and she was sure of the impracticality of it all, but she couldn't bring herself to cut it when she could decorate it in such a lovely way.

"Captain?"

She jumped slightly with a soft squeak and gazed up at him with a curious look and a small smile. When had he gotten there? Had she been too engrossed in her comb to notice? That wasn't good; she got distracted far too easily. She shouldn't let her mind wander but- Wait, she was doing it again.

"Can you sign these?"

She blinked at her lieutenant, confused for a moment, and then nodded taking the stack of papers from him.

Instead of sliding off the desk as would have been most practical she swung her legs around and hopped into her chair, laughing as it rolled into the wall. She flipped around to sit in it correctly and set to work on the papers he'd given her, skimming and signing as had become habit quickly.

She paused once or twice to rub her eyes, this work was more tiring than she'd ever thought signing things could be, and tried to stay awake. It was too bad she was sleepy all the time; she missed so much taking her naps and all.

Yawning, she set her brush down and stretched. "Shuhei?"

He almost jumped, they were both doing that a lot lately, when she addressed him in her quiet way but held back and gazed at her. "Yes Captain?"

"Wa' so' tea?"

She was using that weird half speak again and at first he'd only caught the word tea but he was a smart enough guy and was able to piece the rest of her question together.

"Sure… Want me to call for it?"

She shook her head and stood, pulling a green box from her desk before waving a dismissive hand at him, slipping quietly out of the room. One of the greatest things about ninth division, in So's mind anyway, was the easy access to snacks and such. Since there were often people up until all hours of the night editing and all there was a kitchen close enough by the main offices to be convenient.

It was amazing for someone like her who ate constantly when allowed and as she went to brew the tea she found herself smiling brightly. She recollected cooking some rice early that morning in hopes of making some rice balls, but that plan had fallen through when a larger influx of work had come in.

Now though, if she was lucky enough, the rice would have gone uneaten, hopefully staying reasonably warm in the cooker, and she'd be able to make her snack. Maybe she could even find some salmon or maybe some pickled plum.

Excited, she skipped the rest of the way, drawing quite a bit of attention from her squad members. She rounded a corner into the kitchen and was very happy to see that her pot had been left alone and, with a tap to the side, she found was still decently warm.

Smiling brightly she found a tea pot and a kettle and set them aside to deal with later. She was very meticulous about her tea and would begin making it after she'd finished with the snack.

She rummaged through the cabinets and refrigerator for anything she could use as filling and also for nori strips and was overjoyed to find plenty of salted salmon and nori. The salmon had a name scrawled on the wrapping, Tota, and she knew that he was one of the editors, just around the corner. She'd met him yesterday when he brought her a few pages for the Seratei Bulletin.

Walking quickly out of the kitchen she was able to locate him at his work station, slouched over his paper, and tap him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh? Yes Captain?" he asked, pushing at the glasses sitting on his thin nose. He wasn't a seated officer as far as she knew, and not a soul reaper of extraordinary standing, but he seemed to work hard enough and she'd liked him when she met him. Smiling she let her head tilt from side to side cutely as she put forth her inquiry quietly.

"Can ah use so' a ya salmon for rice balls?"

Once again, the same problem Shuhei had had, he only caught the end, the clear words, at first but was able to piece together her broken speech after a moment.

"Oh, of course, use as much as you'd like Captain." He smiled "If it wouldn't be too much trouble though… would you mind bringing me a rice ball when you're done? I'm a little hungry." He hoped he hadn't just over stepped his boundaries, everyone was rather unsure of their new captain, but when she smiled and nodded exuberantly he felt rather reassured.

She turned away and went back to the kitchen, resuming her work.

There was quite a lot of salmon so she took about half. With the amount of rice she had she figured she could make about ten, maybe fifteen if she made them small.

She rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands.

"S'okay" she took a deep breath and shook her shoulders loose before digging into work. Carefully she scooped up a little more than a handful of rice and rolled it into a ball, pressing a hole into it with her thumb when she was done. She flaked off a few pieces of salmon, enough to fit in the hole, and stuffed it inside before rolling everything together again. Fond of having her rice balls rather full she repeated the process once more with a little less salmon that time and then began to shape them properly.

"Hm…" she smiled brightly as an idea came and she cupped her hands to form the triangle then pressed in the bottom to make a heart. She wrapped a strip of nori around the middle and set it down on a plate she couldn't really remember grabbing. She didn't question it though and simply repeated the process.

Again, and again, and again.

As she worked she began to hum softly, she did quite like music and singing, and let her head loll from side to side with the tune in her head.

"Lalala lalala, lala la. I can sing a happy song today. Hmhm lala lala. I can do my work in my own way." She giggled and kept on, finishing with eleven heart shaped rice balls. Now it was time to brew the tea.

The green box she'd brought earlier was full of Sencha Green Tea leaves that her mother sent from their store as congratulations for her promotion. So was very particular about her tea, for a few decently placed reasons, and Sencha was her favorite.

Cheerily she filled the kettle with clean water and set it to boil while she looked around the kitchen for rice crackers too, deciding on a whim that they'd be a good snack for later. By the time she'd found some, near the back of the pantry, the water had come to a boil and she poured it into the pot and waited for about a minute, fishing four prettily decorated cups from a cabinet as she hummed softly and rocked back and forth on her heels. Once the estimated minute passed she poured water into three of the cups and set a teaspoon of leaves in the now vacant pot. She swapped the water between all four cups a few time before returning it all to the pot. She let it sit and brew for about two minutes and then poured a small bit to check for taste and color. It was up to par and she was happy.

Finding a tray from god knows where she set everything on it and slipped out of the kitchen, back over to Tota's desk.

"Hm" she held the tray forward towards him and he looked up, surprised by her sudden appearance.

"Ah, thank you very much Captain Igami" he said with a smile, blinking in slight surprise when she set her load down to pour him a cup of tea. "Tea too? Your so kind captain. You would make a good wife."

The comment was out before he could fully realize what it was he was saying and to who. He faltered afterwards though with his realization and looked up at her discreetly from his place, trying to gauge her reaction. And things had been going so well too. He hopped she wasn't mad.

So smiled at him, a little taken aback but flattered, and felt the blush creep into her cheeks. "Thanks. My mother wou'd be appy ta hear ya say so." She laughed, and he relaxed visibly, releasing a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding.

"You're very welcome Captain. And thank you again for the lovely snack."

She nodded and gave a short bow before turning to recollect her things and head back down to her office. She hoped Shuhei wasn't upset that she took so long.

Her hands full with the tray it took a bit of maneuvering to get the door open, finally nudging it open with her foot just as it occurred to her that she could have shouted for Shuhei to open it… Never mind, she didn't like shouting, this worked.

As she entered something that sounded like a grunt and then several thuds broke through the quiet and she found her lieutenant sitting at his desk, apparently on his hands, with a paper white face. On the other side of the desk were two overturned chairs and a spread of paper that didn't look like work from her division.

She frowned at him and went to set the tray on her desk before walking back to him, hands on her thin hips.

"Was ron'? she asked softly, brow furrowed as she took in his appearance.

"U-Um… N-Nothing, absolutely nothing" he laughed and stood quickly, stumbling back into the wall.

So stepped back as a doubled shout of "Ow!" came loud and sudden from underneath the desk and then peered back again, her look of confusion taking on a far more amused appearance as she pondered the sigh before her.

"Lieutenant Abarai, Lieutenant Kira… Wasa doin' under Shuhei's desk?"

She blinked down at them as their faces lit up tomato red, she thought it was kind of pretty honestly, and they tried in vain to spring up at the same time, succeeding only in falling forward onto their faces in a tangle of limbs and robes.

A stray arm knocked Shuhei's chair back into the wall and a deck of cards went scattering over the floor on top of them.

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and she bent down to pluck up a single card, flipping it between small, slender fingers.

"Yousa play'in a game?" she asked, holding it up to the dark haired man, staring at her dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry Captain." He apologized. "I know I should have been working but, we play cards here every week. I'm sorry I didn't tell you and if you'd like them to leave-"

"Can ah play?" she interrupted, bending down to gather up more of the cards. "Oh… what're ya play'in?"

"U-Um… Poker. It's a game from the world of the living. Have you played it?" He'd eat his own fundoshi if she had. There was just something about her that screamed "I have little to no exposure to much of the outside world, much less the living world!" Admittedly though, he was relieved when she shook her head no. At least he could read her well enough.

"Teach me?" she looked around at all of them.

At that point Izuru and Renji had untangled themselves and were starting to stand, their legs numb from the short time spent crammed into such a small place together.

All three men shared glances full of equal worry and confusion but, with a shrug, Renji answered.

"Sure, why not."

She beamed at them, Shuhei screaming on the inside because she was doing that cute thing again, and turned to right the chairs again and grab up the papers that she learned a moment later belonged to Izuru. Still without a captain he often had to combine work and leisure to prevent overflow.

Renji set to shuffling the deck and she turned to get her own chair, squeaking when she realized what she'd forgotten.

"Something wrong over there?" Shuhei asked and she nodded softly.

"Need a extra cup… N I forgot bout the tea… 'Ope is not cold" she sighed, flipping some hair out of her face, it fell right back.

"Oh, we've got cups. Just look in there." He pointed to a cabinet in the corner of the room, one So hadn't taken the time to look in for whatever reason, and she skipped, yes skipped, over and jumped happily at the pretty sets of cups and plates inside.

"Iso pretty" she smiled, drawing out an extra cup decorated white with rose print. "Is mine, s'okay" she grinned and darted back over to set it down and serve the tea, still hot thankfully, while Renji dealt.

Everyone settle in, they decided to play five card draw since it was a little easier than the other poker games.

They went through several practice rounds, letting her get the hang of it, before deciding to actually start.

"How much should we bet?" Renji asked casually and Shuhei stiffened suddenly, along with Izuru and then Renji.

It seemed they'd all just remembered the fact that gambling, especially while on the job, was an expressly forbidden act. Of course many people, them included, went against it on a regular basis and never got into much if any trouble but she was a new captain and surely she'd take her responsibilities seriously. Surely she'd kick them out and reprimand Shuhei.

"Isa got fify' thousan' kan on me… Buh, thas too much ta start hu?"

Or maybe not.

All three men gazed at her dumbfounded for a moment, Renji snapping out of it first as he face slid into a grin and he let out a good, hardy laugh.

"Way too much Captain. How bout we start at a couple hundred?" he asked with a good humored smile.

"S'okay… n is So mkay" she gave a grin of her own "Ah dun like be'in formal."

"Well in that case, call me Renji."

"And uh, Izuru is fine with me"

Shuhei shrugged "you already call me Shuhei, guess you weren't kidding about me calling you So."

"Nope" she shook her head and gave a cheery smile as she drew the money out of her sleeve, dropping it onto the table. "Now, lessago!"

The games went fast, Renji the dealer for the first ten rounds. So lost most of them, but as they reshuffled and switched dealers, it was Izuru's turn, she was able to get in a few wins.

"Hnnn" she sighed with a pout, brows furrowed.

"Something wrong cap-" he paused when she stared at him sharply and corrected "So?"

"Isa bad a' this" she complained, leaning back in her chair with an exaggerated amount of effort, short legs kicking up to strike the table. "Oops" she muttered and sat back straight. "Isa keep losing and… eh, is late."

"What time is it?" Renji cocked at tattooed brow and looked over to the wall clock, he eyes practically bulging out of his head as he caught the time. Four forty five. He and Izuru had come over at just past two and he'd been expected back at around three thirty.

"The captain's gonna kill me!" he shouted, shooting from his seat.

"And these papers were due to first hours ago" Izuru sighed, his head making rather loud contact with the desk as he let his despair seep out in a nearly tangible wave.

Shuhei seemed frazzled too declaring with frustration "I was supposed to start sorting through entries for the bulletin hours ago."

So watched as all three men began a scramble around the room, Izuru grabbing up papers, Renji collecting his cards, and winnings since he'd won the last few games, and Shuhei rummaging through files and folders he'd discarded to the floor in a semi neat pile when the game began.

Peeking out from under her hair, a smile quirked at her small lips and then, a little tickle started in her throat.

A tiny, somewhat squeaky sound filled the air, breaking over the sound of shuffling paper and scraping chairs. It was punctuated by short gasps and steadily increased in volume as it went on.

For a moment all three men were very confused, their eyes darted quickly around the room looking for the sounds source, but they quickly realized where it was coming from.

Scrunched together in her chair, one hand over her mouth, So tried in vain to stifle her giggle fit quickly turning into a full on laugh. For some strange reason there was something extremely amusing about watching the three of them lose their heads and she couldn't hold it in.

They all watched her, somewhat unbelieving, as she arched back, her laughter increasing in volume once again, and kicked out a leg, striking the desk. The action caused her chair to roll back and, in its abruptness, spill her out onto the floor where she paused for just a second before laughing even harder at her spill.

She rolled onto her side and curled up, rocking from side to side as she tried to calm herself down, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

The fall got a laugh out of, of course, Renji first. He tried to hide it but when she kept on he just couldn't. The laugh caught around the room and soon all three of them were in hysterics, Shuhei leaning on his desk, Renji and Izuru propped against a wall while So kept rolling on the floor.

Slowly, very slowly, the laughter started to die down, each of them gasping for the air their bodies so craved after all that lung work.

So relaxed her body and sprawled out on the floor, Shuhei was amazed that he was able to wonder how she did that with all those things in her hair, and continued to giggle and rub at her eyes.

"Isa okay?" she asked the room and they all chuckled out varied degrees of yes.

She smiled dumbly up at the ceiling, very truly happy for the fun she'd just had, and for the laughter she was still getting out of them, though rather subdued now.

"That was amazing" Renji said, wiping his eyes.

"Um… What exactly?"

All eyes shot to the door where there stood a rather confused group comprised of Unohana. Byakuya, and Yamamoto.

Unohana was the only one who looked even mildly amused, Byakuya regarded them all with that look that seemed reserved for idiots though and Yamamoto raised a, extremely prominent, brow.

"Did we miss something amusing?" the captain general asked and, while the three liutenats were working up excuses and explanations in their heads, they had absolutely not time to vocalize them.

That same, small sound broke the mildly awkward silence as So began to gawf again, doubling over as she did.

And, as much as it pained them, the laughter caught again and they found themselves busting their guts.

"Isa-Isa had a, a g-good time" So laughed and began rolling again. "We're 'aving f-fun." She squealed and brought her hands up to her face, trying in vain to keep herself under control as Renji doubled over and dragged Izuru down with him, leaving them in a heap on the floor.

Shuhei fell too, disappearing behind his wooden desk.

In the hall, squad members were starting to gather, gawking at the officers all splayed out on the floor screaming with laughter and, in the doorway Unohana was smiling, Yamamoto was sighing, and Byakuya brought a hand up to his forehead. He could feel a headache coming on.

**And there it is, chapter two. Hope you liked it. Did my attempt at comedy work? Anyway though, some notes. In case you don't know Kan is the currency of the Soul Society and from what I know it's got about the same value as yen. That being said, the approximate value of what So had on her was 651 U.S. dollars. Yes, that is a bit to have on hand but she's a girl of privilege so she has a bit of cash to throw around. Um... anyway I think that's it, hope this was acceptable. I should have chapter three up and out in the next day or two. =) I promise Kenpachi will be in the next chapter, toodles~ **


	3. Poking the Bear

**Oh snap, oh snap! Look it this, look it~ It's a double upload. Two chapters, one night! It's cause I can't sleep. XD Anyway though, as promised, here's some Kenpachi and So interaction. As you'll see, it's an interesting thing.**

**Um, this chapter is short so sorry and also sorry if it's a little rambly and dissatisfying but it needed to be done. More on it at the end so I don't give anything away... It's nothing important or magical though so no need to skip to the end. **

**Oh, and this may have more errors than usual. I read over it of course, about three times, but I'm sleepy so I probably didn't catch every thing anyway though...  
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**Insert disclaimer about me not owning Bleach here.**

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><p>Chapter 3 Poking the Bear<p>

There was a Captains meeting the next day. It seemed in rather close approximation to So's initiation but she didn't mind. She was always looking for a reason to come back to first division anyway; it was nice to see her friends, and Yama-Gen. He always had the best snacks ready for her.

A smile lit up her face as she walked a little faster, looking forward to the visit, though she'd heard the meetings could be kind of boring.

Twisting a lock of hair in her tiny fists, today she had it pulled into simple pigtails and it was trailing near the floor, she hummed softly to herself and thought fondly of the day before.

Byakuya had seemed rather upset with Renji about being gone for so long but she'd tried to cover for him. It didn't quite work since Byakuya was apparently rather adept at sniffing out lies and quickly shot down her excuse of "I asked him to help me move things."

She realized now that it was a rather sorry excuse anyway, if only because she was sure she could lift far more than the red head ever could, and she would have been better off saying something like "I just wanted to chat."

She sighed softly and gave herself a tired smile, rounding the corner to the meeting hall.

"A-Ah!" she squeaked and bounced back, startled by the sudden impact.

She fell back, landing rather roughly on her bottom, and frowned up at the large figure looming above her.

"Che" Kenpachi turned slowly and glared down at her. "Watch where yer goin' runt" he huffed and stepped into the hall.

"R-Runt" she stuttered, her face suddenly very, very red. Did he just call her a _runt_? Oh, he did not just say that, oooh!

She huffed and stood up, hands shaking as she frowned, brows furrowed, cheeks puffed out. Honestly, she looked quite like a frustrated child, and she felt like one but, she didn't have time for that.

Dusting herself off she shuffled inside, dismayed to see that she was the last one to take her place.

She knew that Yamamoto would object greatly to any kind of disrespect towards anyone inside and so she did her very beset in resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at the brut she'd run into.

It's not my fault I ran into him. He shouldn't just be standing around with his huge self! She rationalized her anger before squashing it, her attention turning to the elderly man she found herself so fond of.

It was a droll, droning thing this meeting. A little hard on the ears too as the echo in the room was loud and anyone's voice going on and on and on and on and, oh dear she's stuck in an infinite loop, pull her out! Pull her out!

Her attention snapped back to him with a start and she was glad that she'd kept the chimes out of her hair, lest she make noise.

This was so boring.

She resisted the urge, she seemed to be resisting quite a bit lately, to yawn or groan or move around and instead took the time to discreetly look over everyone on the other side of the room. Oh, and be discreetly I mean, through that impenetrable wall of hair almost always blocking her eyes.

She was trying to figure out who she knew and who she didn't.

With the way everyone was lined up she could see the captains for divisions two, four, six, seven and eight. Soi Fon, Unohana, Kuchiki, Komamura, and Kyoraku were parallel to her, lined in a neat little row and paying far more attention than she was.

Of all of them, she knew Unohana the best. The kind woman was a great mentor to both herself and one of her closest friends and she'd spent quite a lot of time in her presence over the years.

She smiled a little at the thought; she was such a friendly woman, but strong and commanding. So emulated her, admired her so very much.

Her eyes wandered away, to the others, and she frowned a little. She didn't know any of them at all. Well, Kuchiki maybe a little, they'd had a short run-in in childhood but, if she was remembering correctly, she punched him in the mouth after he refused to give her some toy she'd wanted. They hadn't spoken since that she knew of… Not counting yesterday.

She'd never said two words to Soi Fon, or Komamura, and Unohana had warned her against Kyoraku shortly after she became a shinigami.

She probably wasn't his type but still…

She couldn't look from side to side without being obvious but she was smart enough to figure out the lines configuration on her side. She was at the very end, standing next to Hitsugaya, who was mercifully shorter than her, beside him was Zaraki, jerk, Kurotsuchi, her other friends captain, and then finally Ukitake who she'd met two or three times before and thought well of.

The only one left was Yama-Gen and he was her absolute idol.

That was sad.

She huffed and grabbed onto her hair again, thinking. It was quite lonely in this room, if she thought about it. Among this group she had mentors, but they weren't quite friends. It was-

"Akane" Yamamoto's voice cut through her musings and she looked up at him quickly, head quirked quizzically to the side as she stepped forward.

"How are you settling into the ninth squad?"

She smiled and nodded, looking down as she spoke, suddenly very self-conscious and shy. "Just fine. Just fine… Everyone is very nice."

Kenpachi and Mayuri both snorted at her reply but she paid them no mind.

"And how are the members of your squad adjusting?"

"Ah…" she opened her mouth then closed it again. How were they doing? How did they feel about her? She'd been so wrapped up in the wonder of it all, not to mention the copious amounts of paper work, that she hadn't really taken the time to gauge the feelings of her new squad.

"I'm not quite sure" she replied honestly, never one to lie to the captain general.

He frowned.

"Akane, a fine captain has only strength, a great captain has the trust and acceptance of their subordinates as well. Will you settle for being less than great?" His tone was, to most, patronizing but to her, who had grown up in his presence she understood that tone to be one of challenge.

"No" she shook her head, thoroughly chastised but also set in a new, firm resolve.

"Then do as I say and form these bonds… Is there anything left to discuss?"

She stepped back in line and silence fell over the large, empty room.

"In that case, you are dismissed!"

The Captain General brought his cane down, striking the ground solidly and at the noise, everyone turned in and left in a flurry of white and black.

Just like that first day, So trailed behind, twisting and tugging her hair.

The sunshiny spring light outside made her eyes burn as she exited the building and she had to stop rather suddenly to avoid another collision with Zaraki.

"Move" she fussed up at him quietly, trying to move to one side. He was standing in the archway, his broad form making it near to impossible for her to slip by. It was frustrating because she could see Shuhei just feet away and she wanted to work on getting to know her squad better.

She heard Kenpachi growl above her and looked up to see his solitary eye glaring down at her.

"Make me, runt" he barked, planning one hand firmly on the other side of the wall to make it completely impossible for her to get through at all.

"Move, please" she tried again. She was trying very hard not to lose her temper.

"Ah said make me. What, ya ain't got the balls to try?" His face was set in quite the wicked sneer and his eye was gleaming in a very predatory way. Usually he didn't harass women, but this runt didn't look like captain material and he did not approve in the least.

"Please" she sighed. "Isa don't wanna-"

"So you're short and a weakling."

That did it.

Face flushed deep red as her frustration reached its highest heights, So grabbed tightly onto the front of his shihakusho and yanked him down with a surprising amount of force. She pulled him back just enough to step out of the alcove and then hefted him over her shoulder. With little hesitation she swung her arm up and sent him flying, his hulking body clearing a little over two hundred feet before slamming through the wall of a building.

"I'm not short!" She shouted at him, her voice the loudest any of them had ever heard it.

Her spiritual pressure spiked along with her volume and sent several by standing squad one members to their knees, unprepared for the sudden force pressing down upon them. Even a few of the lieutenants felt themselves flinch at the pulse of power that was there and then a moment later gone.

Cap back on her power, So turned sharply on her heel and stormed away with a pout on her face, Shuhei following at what he hoped was a safe distance as she muttered and mumbled to herself and he was left wondering what exactly had just happened. He'd only caught that last bit, like everyone else.

He was pretty sure he didn't want to know anyway, if she was so riled up.

Behind them, rather far behind them now with her quick pace, a group of confused captains and lieutenants stood, gazing at Kenpachi, lodged in the wall of what appeared to be a supply building.

Yachiru was standing just in front of him, a curious look on her face.

"Are you okay Kenny?" she asked as he pulled himself from the rubble and cracked his neck.

A maniacal grin spread over his face as he watched her retreating form. "Just great" he nodded to the small girl, letting her climb up onto her shoulder.

"She's pretty strong huh? You gonna fight her?"

"Hell yeah" he replied, eye glinting dangerously

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><p><strong>And there you have it, So and Kenpachi interacting for the first time. She's a lot more volotile than you thought right? Or maybe not, maybe you'vve got her pegged, or went along and read her profile XD. Addressing things though, like story things. <strong>

**This chapter mostly serves to show how alone So is in her new position as captain. As I said, besides Unohana and Yamamoto she doesn't really know anyone and even those two are more of mentors, not friendly friends so interaction and relationships will be a pretty important part of her development and this fic. **

**As you can see, she and Kenpachi aren't quite getting along and yeah, I want it that way for now. They'll get along eventually... hopefully. XD But yeah, that's chapter three and I'm writing chapter four already. Got something to say, say it. Now it's two of you watching this fic and thank you so much for the review, it made me smile. ^^ You know who you two are, but for everyone else they're and gnarly. I'm reading both of your fics right now. You'll probably get faves and reviews from me, just so you know. XD Hope you enjoyed this~  
><strong>


	4. To Be My Best

**Oh look, chapter four! It's about twenty five minutes later than I wanted it to be but, eh, at least it's done. This one is kind of really long, if only because I had to introduce a new character and oh, hey yeah, the character. Her name is Madoka, her nickname is Do, not as in do like do this but Do like doe. She also has a profile on my dA so feel free to check it out since I feel a little like me description of her here, through So and Shuhei's eyes, didn't quite do her justice. No Ken in this chapter sorry but the next chapter, ohmagee. **

******Once again, I read it for errors after I finished but it's past midnight and I've had a rather taxing day so this might be riddled with flaws for all I know. Feel free to kindly point them out to me. You'll only get thanks from me I promise, granted you're nice. ^^ Shout out to , gnarly, and new to the list lisamariem. They've all either added this to their allerts, review or both and I really apreciate it. Go check out their stuff, they've all got some pretty cool fics that I'm enjoying~ **

**Oh, and just so you all know, I don't own Bleach, it probably wouldn't be half as good if I did. XD **

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><p>Chapter 4 To Be My Best<p>

Stacks of steam rose from the hot water and filled the room with a soft, vanilla scented haze.

The shudders were open but the curtains were closed, making the midday light seem darker than it really was.

It made for a nice atmosphere, draining away stress to replace it with a dreary sleepiness.

So sighed, in contentment and frustration, she was not getting out of this bath. Nope, not at all. She was just going to sit there and stew in the heat for the rest of her life, hair spread around her, body nice and warm.

It sounded like a good plan, a perfectly sane idea only, it wasn't.

She wouldn't be hearing that right now though, nope. She wasn't home now, there was no one, absotivly, posilutely, no one around to make her get out of the steamy Eden only, there was.

"So… Soichi!" a concerned voice called through the bamboo door and So slid farther into the water, submerging herself mouth deep into the pool. "You can't stay in there forever…"

"Yes ah can!" she retorted, popping up for just long enough to shout in her bizarrely quiet way.

"So…" a sigh from the other side. "I'm coming in alright?"

Seconds ticked by and then "Mhm."

The door slid open and a young woman stepped in.

"Do" So sighed, turning away from her friend.

"Come on now dear… It couldn't have been that bad." Do, or Madoka as her actual name was, stepped to the edge of the bath and looked down at her small friend hiding in the water.

"Neh" So gurgled and floated away from her, dunking herself under the water. Around her, her black hair fanned out, turning the steamy, clear surface inky black.

"Going under water won't make me go away." She said patiently, gazing down at the water with soft, lavender eyes.

"Ah!" So popped up again and took a deep breath while rubbing at her eyes. As nice as the water felt, the soap and oil still stung.

"Silly girl" Do laughed and grabbed a face towel for her friend. "Are you alright?"

"Hm, mhm" she nodded, blinking up at the taller woman. She couldn't help but smile, Madoka always made her happy, just seeing her could bring a smile around.

She was much taller than So, and seemed even more so while she was sitting there in the bath. Her friends five foot seven form seemed to tower over her slight self but, it wasn't menacing or bothersome, it was… comforting.

Being around Madoka was always comforting, her Doka, her Do was always there, so gentle and kind. Even now she was a soothing presence, trying ever so gently to coax her out of her safe place.

So supposed, if she was to think about it rationally, it was about time she got out. She'd been sitting there for a good two hours now, her fingers and toes were wrinkly and her face had a less than healthy flush to it by now. Plus, the steam was starting to make her dizzy.

"Come on now, let's get out of the tub. It's not healthy to be in there so long."

So pouted "squad four."

"Yes, yes I am." A smile lit up her chocolate face, full pink lips parted to show a row of straight, white teeth. Round cheeks spread with a dark splash of freckles started tinting burgundy with the heat of the room and she held out a hand to So.

The little captain sunk down again, eyes just above the water, and pointed to the far corner where she'd left her towels.

To be completely honest, that was one of the biggest reasons she hadn't gotten out yet. She didn't want to make that chilly, okay it wouldn't have been that chilly but still, walk all the way over to the other side of the room.

Do was happy to make the trip though, all be her feet dry she didn't have to worry about getting cold or feeling exposed, though So was rather fine to walk about naked, her hair was a garb all on its own after all.

"Here darling." She held the towel open and So rose out of the water, stepping into her arms.

She squeaked happily as the older woman hugged her tight, her face smooshing between her rather ample bosom.

It was a point of jealousy at times but, when she as looking for affection, nothing was better than resting her head on Do's soft pillowed chest and listening to her heart beat. It was just nice, everything about Madoka was nice, nice and soft and feminine.

"Thanks" So sighed into her chest, a smile on her flushed face.

"Of course. Now, come on, let's get you dressed and do your hair… You can tell me all about what ever run in it was you had with Captain Zaraki."

"Neh" So frowned at mention of the large captain and hugged her towel close as Do twisted her wet hair around her arm, never minding that the sleeve of her dress was now drenched, and dropped another towel on So's head.

They walked into her room, it had taken a lot of effort to get the large bath built in as an add on in only three days but the fourth had done good work, and So slid on clean underwear and a white yukata while Do gathered together various hair care products and the like. It took quite a bit to take care of So's hair, regardless of its health; the sheer quantity was enough to warrant at least an hours devotion after every bath.

Drying it was easy enough. Grabbing it at the end So forced out a burst of her spiritual energy that shook off the wetness effortlessly. It was a bit of an odd, unorthodox technique but she found it quite effective with the way she used it.

Nice and dry, she sat on the edge of her bed and kicked her legs back and forth, see how much effort it took for her toes to touch the floor.

"Alright, what am I doing?" Do asked, moving to sit behind the smaller girl. She frowned when she got nothing more than a shrug and pushed a lock of burgundy brown hair out of her face. "You sure are helpful" she muttered sarcastically, though So could hear the smile in her voice. "How about a braid? You seem a little antsy today."

"Hm… Sure" So nodded, stilling so Do could start her work.

It began with relative silence. Do's hands worked quickly, the motion muscle memory after three hundred plus years of performance. Over under, over under, over under, it was a soothing feeling, a soothing action, she liked doing So's hair.

Just past her neck now, she let herself slide out of the somewhat hypnotic state braiding always dropped her into and struck up a conversation, her motives ulterior but surely not hidden.

"So, past the fighting, how's your day been?"

"Lousy" So muttered, crossing thin arms over her flat chest.

"Oh come now, it can't be that bad" the buxom lass insisted.

"It is" she huffed, insistent herself.

"Well, what happened? Can you tell me that?"

"No" she fussed, squirming in her place on the bed.

Do sighed "so difficult sometimes … Come on."

"No."

"So" her voice was that soft pleading tone. Motherly and patronizing but also full of care. It always reminded So of a parent, trying to convince their child to take medicine because it will make them better a sweet, sad, convincing tone of voice.

The tiny shinigami sighed and kicked her legs slowly, it was hard for her to resist that voice but she would, she would, okay… no, no she wouldn't.

"Eh called meh short" she muttered, pulling her legs up to her chest. "He'sa mean 'er no reason" she frowned.

Do laughed and was promptly knocked off the bed by a pillow to the head.

"Don't laugh!" So fussed, leaning over the edge to look at the woman laughing on the floor.

"I-I'm sorry So, I'm sorry" she said with a gasp. "I just…" she looked up at the girls flushed, pouting face and closed her mouth, though her smile remained. "I'll shut up" she conceded. "Just let me finish the braid."

They sat in silence as Do finished up, decorating her handiwork with flowered pins and pendants, the end tied off with a beaded, blue ribbon.

"All done. Now, let's get out there and face the world hm?"

"Eh" So shrugged and fell onto her side, snuggling down into the pile of pillows she slept on in lieu of a proper mattress.

"No, no" Do stood and wagged a finger at her small friend. "Up you go!"

Do wasn't the strongest girl in the world, but she could lift at least one hundred twenty pounds, a good thing since So was currently only ninety seven.

With a look of determination on her face, she slid her arms under So's and hefted her up out of bed, the captain protesting as she kicked her feet and squirmed, trying to get out of the surprisingly strong grip.

"Put me down!" she fussed as Do dragged her over to her closet.

"Get dressed" she said, dropping her only to shove her in.

She'd been a touch nervous doing that. Though she and So were darling friends it didn't mean the smaller, stronger girl wouldn't hurt her. It had happened plenty over the years, though it was never anything too serious, but still.

Grumbling incoherently So got dressed in a clean shihakusho and shrugged on her captains robe. She didn't want to go back out but Do was the most persistent person she knew… well second most, and she didn't want to upset her.

She stepped out of the closet, the left side of her outfit slipping off a small, sloped shoulder.

Do smiled. "We should get you some clothes that fit… Later though, now come on. I'm sure you've got work to do or something. "

"Ehhe…" So sighed and walked over to her door. She slid it open with Do standing behind and was greeted with the sight of Shuhei, one hand raised as if to knock, stairing at them perplexed.

She looked up at him and blinked, head tilting to the side quizzically. "Shuhei." She said softly and he dropped his hand, going rigid.

"U-Uh yeah Cap- er… So?" he still wasn't used to addressing her so casually. "I was coming to check on you. You've been gone for a while."

So nodded and Do smiled bright. "Oh, how sweet of you!" she crooned and Shuhei regarded her with confusion, he'd never see her before.

"Um… Thanks? Are, are you a friend of the cap- ah So?" He was seriously having trouble with this!

"Oh, why yes I am" she smiled, stepping around the smaller girl to present herself properly. "Squad Four Fourth Seat Madoka Moru at your service… though you can call me Do, or Doka if you'd like. So is one of my best friends so I'd like to thank you for taking care of and putting up with her as your new captain." She laughed cheerily as they shook hands and a vein bulged out in So's forehead.

"I know she can be a bit to handle sometimes" Do went on "but she's really quite sweet. Just, awkward you know… Very awkwa—Ow!" She flinched and ducked down as a sudden pain washed through her head.

So had punched her, non-too gently, in the back of the skull.

"H-Hey, that was mean So!" she whined and So huffed, crossing her arms again.

Shuhei gave a somewhat nervous laugh and rubbed at the back of his neck. "You're a knock out today hu?" he asked, trying to be funny.

Mercifully, So laughed and beamed up at him cheerily again. "She's okay" she assured him. "Ah didn't 'it that 'ard."

"Yeah, but it still hurt" she sighed, standing. She rubbed at her head and gave So a rather halfhearted glare before turning back to Shuhei. "Anywho, I don't think I caught your name, what with my prattling on" she laughed softly. "I don't usually talk this much but I have quite a bit of energy today."

"Heh, that's okay. The name's Shuhei Hisagi. I'm her lieutenant if you didn't already know."

She flushed and he wondered why then…

"Oh! I can't believe I didn't recognize you. I'm so sorry Lieutenant." She sighed "I meant no disrespect."

She bowed and he shook his hands and his head. "No, no, it's no problem really. No need to get so formal on me now." He laughed, once again with a nervous tone, and looked the panicking woman over. It was odd how quickly she changed emotions, it was spastic really and he wondered if she was okay.

She was still apologizing and he figured, if he couldn't stop her, he might as well take a minute to analyze her. Knowing So, just for these first few days, had given him confidence in his ability to read others.

She was a pretty woman he guessed. Quite busty she wasn't as well-endowed as Rangiku but definitely a cup size or two away. It was a little hard to avoid staring honestly but he managed to pry his eyes away and catch the rest of her figure. It was much more prominent in her outfit, a china style dress, high collared, long sleeved, and slit up the sides. It was tied at the waist with a red sash and something was sewn into the corner too. It looked nice but he wondered why she wore it instead of the general uniform.

She was in squad four right? Must be giving patients heart attacks in that, he smirked and diverted his gaze back to her face before either of them noticed his roaming eyes and thought the worst.

He caught her eye for a moment, the lavender shining bright as she went on explaining something he wasn't even quite sure of anymore, and then found the few obscured by dark hair colored chocolate brown and burgundy.

He cheeks were flushing, making the dark freckles on her face stand out even more and his confusion rose as she dropped her head into her hands and sighed deeply.

"I'm very sorry" she finished and he blinked.

"Uh…"

So smacked her again and she jumped over a few feet away from them.

"Stop it! Ahn ya say 'm weird" So shook her head and looked back up at him, tugging at the braid rather hard. "Cahn ya get er'one together Shuhei? Isa wanta tell the squad somethin'."

"Yeah, sure… I'll send out a call right away… Is the courtyard okay?"

She nodded. "Isa fine… Thanks" she smiled.

He started away and then paused, turning. "What're you… we… you? Doing captain?" he asked.

"Isa just wanna say hi to everyone" she said, looking down bashfully, arms behind her back.

Now why'd she have to go do that? He sighed and smiled, "alright, come on out in a few minutes I guess."

He disappeared around the corner and Do sidled up next to her, resting a gentle hand on her head.

"A public statement?" the bubbly woman asked.

So nodded. "Isa want them ta trust me… Isa wanna be great."

Do smiled. "Well then, good luck… should I come with you, or maybe call Ko?"

"Nh" she shook her head and grabbed Do's hand. "Isa do it on my own… er… with Shuhei. Hesa nice" she smiled.

"Glad to know it… I think he was checking me out though."

So nodded her agreement "Isa kinda obvious" she laughed.

"He probably thinks I'm a little odd" she grinned. "Wouldn't be the first."

"Nope" So shrugged and looked around. "Isa… Am I… Should ah go?" she asked.

"Of course you should silly girl!" Do said cheerfully, leaning down to peck the shorter girl on the temple. "No head along and I'll get back to my Captain."

So smiled and nodded, swaying softly with the rush of air that passed as Do flash stepped away.

On her own, she made her trek far slower, pausing occasionally at windows to watch the people going by, leaving their previous to congregate in the courtyard just inside the squad entrance gate.

A hell butterfly flitted past, tweeting out its message as it did.

She'd never been too good with those little creatures. They were so fragile after all and, while So was all small and dainty, she could occasionally be heavy handed and smash them. She always felt horribly guilty afterwards .

"Captain, there you are!" She jumped a little as Shuhei addressed her and she realized she'd made it outside.

She stood on the steps above her squad, all lined up neatly across the cobbled way. She blinked dumbly at the sight before her, glad that she had her hair there as a shield so they couldn't see her gawking.

Where there really so many of them? So many people just watching her.

Her head swam for a moment and she reached out, grabbing tight to Shuhei's sleeve.

"Are you okay?" he asked, watching as she swayed on her feet.

"Mhm… Isa lot of people" she sighed and used her free hand to rub at her eyes.

Below, they were all chattering and she knew she couldn't start this without complete silence. "Could you… quiet them down?"

She bit her lip, taking a conscious effort to correct her speech making it come out deliberate and slow.

"Sure um… Quiet down everyone!" Shuhei shouted over the crowd. A rather blunt approach but effective as they all snapped their mouths shut within seconds. It was encouraging to So at least but she was still nervous. Thankfully, Shuhei kept talking.

"Thank you all for coming in such a timely manner. I know you're all very busy but the Captain would like to address you all. If you could, please give her your attention."

He nodded towards her and she stepped forward, at the center of the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled in a worried way and thought back to every etiquette class her parents had ever made her take. They'd taught her more than the speech classes ever could and, with those thoughts in mind she opened her mouth.

"Thank you all again…" she began in a slow, still soft tone that she hoped would carry to the back.

"I… I know I'm quite but… please bear with me." It took an insane amount of effort not to fidget with her hair or clothes and she found herself twisting her arms behind her back to resist the urge.

"I'm sure that… You are all quite curious about me… very… skeptical? I am new after all…" she kicked at the ground for a moment, eyes diverted but corrected herself almost instantly.

"I understand that… change is, hard. It can be confusing and… uncomfortable." She bit her lip and decided to go for it.

"I am uncomfortable… right now… right here… I'm not good with people… focusing on me or… or people in general but… But I want to be." She released her arms and pushed the lose strands of hair behind her ears to reveal her blushing face. "I want to be… I want to be my very best for all of you!"

Another deep breath.

"I want to… to be better at talking to you all… I want to be not only your leader but… but your friend." She closed her eyes and grabbed on to the braid, self-control be damned, she was freaking out!

"May I… May I ask a favor of you all?"

Silence stretched across the distance till one brave soul finally piped up "Sure!" making So smile as a small wave of affirmatives rolled over the crowd.

"C-Could you… would you all be willing to… help me? Will you help me get better, help me be the best that I can be?"

Again the silence stretched for just a minute, and she feared the worst, felt herself start to panic but, a heavy hand dropped onto her shoulder and she looked up at Shuhei's smiling face.

"Of course we will captain. Isn't that right everyone?" he shouted.

A cheer erupted from the crowd and So smiled brightly, tears, happy tears, stinging the corners of her eyes though they never fell.

"Thank you" she said over the noise, a noise that settle soon after they realized she'd started speaking. "Thank you so much."

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><p><strong>And there we have it, chapter four has come to an end and chapter five is in production. It may take two days instead of one since it'll probably be even longer than this but it'll be worth it hopefully. ^^ Anyway, I hope you all liked this, it was a little bit of friendship and fluff and So being awkward and unsure of herself. This won't be the last time we see her having trouble in front of a crowd so, get used to it. XD <strong>

**Um, a note I've been meaning to make since the beginning of the fic, I don't use honorifics and the such. You know -Chan, -Kun, -Sama, -Senpai and the like. I know what they mean, I've had basic Japanese lessons, but I'm not confident with the language and I'd rather not try to use something that I don't have full understanding of. Plus, I've just grown to dislike writing, and I say writing, not reading, things where they're speaking English but have Japanese words and phrases thrown in. I don't know why really because when I'm talking it out, the dialogue and stuff I mean, I use these honorifics and they sound fine but, I just can't seem to write them.**

**It really sucks because in the original outline and profiles and stuff the girl were all called So-Chan, Do-Chan, and Ko-Chan respectively by each other and their friends and I got super used to it. I suppose I could write it just for them when talking to one another but then that wouldn't work out because they're close enough to not need the honorific... Eh, I'm rambling, sorry about that. **

**Tl;dr You can ignore most of it. Anyway, hope you all enjoy~ Always look forward to feedback but if you're content to just read and run, that makes me happy too. Have a good day/night/evening. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. **


	5. Poking the Bear Again

**This chapter is not as long as I thought it would be since I decided to cut it in half. It's actually pretty short but, I like it. Hope you all feel the same.** Oh, but there is some swearing, ya know Kenpachi and all, hope you guys don't mind too much.** ^^ As always a shout out to Therapist. Wicked (ff won't let me add your name without the space.) gnarly, lisamariem, and newest Kira Carmen. These are the lovely people who have added my story to their alerts or favorite or who have reviewed. I appreciate them greatly and I also appreciate all of you who are content to just read. I really do hope you like it. The next chapter should be up tomorrow night, maybe earlier if I can pump it out before the picnic~ Any who, enjoy, oh, and I don't own Bleach at all... I do own So though. XD **

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><p>Chapter Five Poking the Bear Again<p>

After that day time passed with little incident. While many of the squad members were still apprehensive about their captain, they seemed to be trying hard to accept her and see her as their new leader.

Her little speech had at least boosted moral a bit and more people went about their work with a smile.

A week passed, another captains meeting rolled around, So avoided the hot seat.

As business concluded and everyone began to shuffle out she made sure not to make the same mistake as last time in waiting around. Instead she made sure to be near to one of the first people out and keep on her way, hoping to avoid Kenpachi.

No luck.

A heavy hand fell on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks making her turn her head to glare in annoyance at the tall man.

She shrugged him off, with little effort, and turned fully to stare at him in a questioning manner.

"Wanna fight?" he asked bluntly, frowning when she shook her head.

"Why the hell not?"

Instead of responding she began to stalk away, yelping when he grabbed hold of her hair to stop her again.

This time she turned on him with anger in her eyes, ripping his hand away from her hair.

"Do. Not. Touch." She said firmly, swinging around so that she'd launch him a few feet away.

She flash stepped away as he landed, on his feet this time since he'd been half way expecting something like that, and glared after her.

She wasn't about to get rid of him that easily.

He followed her all the way back to her division, arriving a quite far behind since he couldn't flash step and got lost along the way.

It was actually about an hour later that he showed up, in the window of her office.

"Fight me" he went for a demand instead of a request this time and watched as she twitched in annoyance.

So was thoroughly annoyed. Had he really followed her all the way here?

The brush in her hand snapped, ink splashing across her desk and paper and hand, she didn't care and was quite glad Shuhei was out because she figured that the spike in her spiritual pressure might have hurt him, if the cracking of her desk was any indication.

Kenpachi smirked at that. Looked like it wouldn't take as much prodding as he thought it would except.

She took a deep breath, reined in her power, and turned to look at him with a blank face.

"No"

A vein exposed itself in Kenpachi's temple. "Why?" he growled out.

She sighed "we'd break e'rything" she muttered and turned back in her chair. "'N make ah mess."

"So?" He didn't understand why that was an issue.

"Leave" she commanded.

"Fight me."

Another twitch and then he found himself falling rather quickly from the window, down to the ground where he landed hard enough to make a crater. There was a large, circular burn, smoking, where the blast of her Hado had hit. It stung like a bitch and it actually took him a second to get back to his feet, sneering all the while at the confused, concerned, and rather scared members of the ninth division that till then had been having quite a peaceful day.

"Go away!" Everyone looked up to So, head out the window, shouting down at Kenpachi. They blinked, rather confused of the whole situation, when she went back in, slamming the window shut.

"Che" Kenpachi sneered and brushed himself off, cracking his neck. He wasn't about to give up, but he'd count his losses for now and come back later.

And so he did.

He came back the next day, and the next day, and the next day. He continued his visits, his pestering, his insistence, and So continued to rebuff him, and continued to break her brushes and pens.

It went on and on and on for roughly a month and a half. Some days Shuhei was there, and he stayed out of it as wise people did, and some days it was So on her own and the poor lieutenant would come back to find that more furniture had been crushed under the weight of her frustration and immese power. He was just happy he wasn't there when it happened and that she was kind enough to refrain from letting her anger reach such levels when he was around.

Kenpachi falling out of windows or occasionally crashing down the hall riding the splintered office door, became a rather routine if not unusual thing in the ninth and, since the Kenpachi always deemed it proper to arrive at around four in the afternoon, sometimes with or without Yachiru, everyone was able to alter their schedules accordingly.

There were several times where So tried to find somewhere to hide, somewhere that wasn't near her office around this time but, when she'd come back he'd be waiting and she'd only have succeeded in making noise late at night when she had to throw him out.

It was amazing to find how patient the brute could be, when he really wanted something and, many thought, it was amazing how tolerant So could be when subjected to constant harassing.

There would be consequences though, most definitely.

It was around noon, about the time when Kenpachi always started over to ninth, if he went any later he'd arrive after the sun went down, but he wasn't moving.

Several his men saw this, they'd also gotten used to their Captains new schedule and knew where he was going and for what around that time every day, and were just mildly concerned.

Had their captain given up on fighting the new leader of ninth? They wouldn't mind it, her constant rejection was making the large man more moody than was usual and he was far more prone to snapping. And by snapping, they of course meant necks, snapping necks.

No one was willing to go over and ask though because, well, they didn't want to die so… Oh, look, it seemed the Lieutenant would ask.

"Hey Kenny! Aren't ya going over to see Tiny?" Yachiru thought it was quite the fitting nickname since So was tiny, but not as short as Toshiro who was Shorty.

"What's the fuckin point?" he grumbled, arms crossed over his broad chest. "Ain't gonna do no good if all she does is throw me out the damned window again. Ain't going back till I figure a way to get her ta fight me."

"Hmmm." The pink haired pixy hopped onto his lap and tapped a finger to her small chin, trying to think of an idea. After all, she didn't like seeing her Kenny so upset and… Ah, she had it!

Snapping her little fingers together she turned excitedly in his lap, their faces inches apart. "I got it Kenny!" she shouted.

"Oh yeah?" he pushed her back a few centimeters and raised a nonexistent brow.

"Yeah! Just make her mad."

"I think I've been doing that plenty… Hasn't gotten me anywhere" he told her, leaning heavily on the wall behind her.

"That's cause you got the wrong kinda mad! Make her mad like how I get when someone takes my candy. I'll fight 'em for sure if they do that!"

"Heh" he grinned, letting the idea play in his mind. It sounded good, really good. She sure as hell wouldn't hold back if she was genuinely pissed off… Yeah, that'd work.

He stood suddenly, Yachiru jumping to switch from his lap to his shoulder. She was grinning too.

"Ya got a plan Kenny?" she asked.

To which he replied with a rather maniacal laugh that sent a shudder down the spines of every low ranking Shinigami and sent alarms ringing in the heads of every high ranking officer.

A few hours later, right on schedule, he came rushing into the ninth. As usual he came up to the open window, So had stopped closing after the single attempt she'd made that ended in shattered glass all over her office, and grinned at the un-amused woman glaring at him.

"Out" she practically hissed and he just kept grinning.

"Wanna fight?" he asked, giving her once last chance.

She kept her glare and spiked her spiritual pressure.

"Heh" he laughed darkly. "Though so."

Long thick strands of black hair fell loose across her face and shoulder as he plucked a flower shaped pin from her hair.

"How bout now?"

She gaped at him, brain not wanting to register what had just happened. He did not just-

Her desk gave a groan of protest as the room filled more and more with her power before cracking clear in half.

Kenpachi grinned and dropped down, making a bee line for the eleventh. He wanted to have this fight on his turf, less likely that things would get broken up there... Not as in buildings, those were guaranteed to get smashed, but in terms of intervention.

In her office the chairs went out, Shuhei's desk gave next, papers scattering on the floor, and everyone within a six hundred yard radius braced themselves, the air suddenly thick and hard to breathe.

A steady red was crawling up her body, flushing her neck and face and even the tips of her fingers.

With all the calm she could manage, she turned her body fully to look out the window, concerned squad members looking up with apprehension and fear as lavender light burst out violently followed by a very fast black and white blur radiating so much power that many of them fell to their knees, others even fainting.

So cut through the Seireitei, towards the eleventh, full of wrath and with one thing on her mind.

He. Was. Going. To. Die

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><p><strong>And that's chapter five. Next chapter, ass kicking time! Questions, comments, random things to say? Say em, or just be happy with reading... or unhappy, though I hope not. XD See any mistakes, please tell me. Kay thanks~ Hope I'm not forgetting anything. XD <strong>


	6. The Beast Unleashed

**Hi all, so sorry I've been gone. My poor computer's been dying a slow broken death you see and lately it's become impossible for me to get on the internet without being physically connected to the router. That would be okay if it weren't for the fact that the routers in the office and since it's a bit messy there's no where to sit but the floor. Sad but true, and it doesn't always work so yeah. My interent's been limited and I hit a patch of writers block but, it's gone now and all is well, but for my baby breaking, hopefully I'll get that fixed soon. I like this chapter, I really do, but you'll all probably be able to tell that I'm not the best at battle scenes. I tried my hardest though and I hope you enjoy. Expect two or three more chapters and possibly the start of new story by the end of tonight and more regular updates, writers block and school permitting. **

**I own Bleach in no way shape or form, but I do own So and Do. **

**Oh, and here are the lovely people who are amazing and who you all should go check out. Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, and ISgrl15. You all have no idea how happy you've made me. =D **Thanks for the faves, reviews, and for adding me to your alerts. I promise I'll be more regular about updating.  
><strong>

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><p>Chapter 6 - The Beast Unleashed<p>

A long gash through the streets made a path from ninth division to eleventh.

While she made no noise, the lavender purple reiatsu radiating off of her, the only other evidence that she had been there, was a clear signal to those who knew her well that she was on a war path.

Members of the eleventh jumped out of the way as she burst through the door, breaking through all the way to the dojo where Kenpachi stood waiting with a grin on his face.

"Give it back!" So shouted as she jumped up, their swords clashing with a metallic ring as she attacked.

He laughed, furthering her frustration, and he was rather glad at the fact that it actually took a bit of effort to block her strikes.

Pushing back he sent her flying, she flipped and landed on her feet, skidding to a stop several feet away, body slightly bowed as her chest heaved in heavy, ragged breaths.

With that single pin missing, the dynamic of the entire hairstyle had been ruined and was slowly coming down, her hair even more in her eyes than usual, hiding the look of malice in her gaze when she looked up to glare hard at him.

Righting her posture she pointed her sword towards him, the nodachi an imposing five feet, quite a mark taller than her as most things were, and he returned the gesture.

Their eyes locked and a rather surprising sound, something like a growl or a hiss, crawled out of her throat.

He chuckled again and then, it was on.

They both lunged, swords crossing, a surge of power erupting in arcs of purple and gold.

They pushed against one another, evenly matched as they pressed their power higher and higher.

This was not acceptable! This was not right! She wanted blood, lots of it, and she would get it.

She turned and ducked under his raised arms, swiveling all the way around to bring the blade up his chest, the gash deep and gushing. His blood sprayed on her face and she grinned a rather sadistic, twisted grin far, far away from her usual sweet but cloudy smile.

He grinned too as first blood was drawn and came down on her, slicing her shoulder and down her back as she jumped away.

She didn't flinch and he wondered if she'd even felt it. Interesting.

He rushed her, using his free hand to grab her around the waist and swing, throwing her into the far wall. Payback.

Something cracked, hopefully just her clips, and her hair fell farther into disarray.

She blew it up and out of her face as she dislodged herself from the new dent in the wall, shaking away plaster and paint and came back at him, he was able to knock her back, slashing through her leg this time.

Again no visible response. She could take a lot, couldn't she?

In the back of her mind, her body was dully recognizing the pain for what it was but the red clouding over her vision was a more pressing matter to attend and she dropped back onto her feet just a bit away, holding up a free hand to shoot off a blast of blue light in a wordless kido spell.

It sent Kenpachi rocketing back and she came upon him as he flew, slashing down against his chest, blood spraying up again.

He crashed into the wall with enough force to go through it and she stood in the hole made, looking at him now sprawled out on the dirt of the training yard.

She was ready to make the last blow, possibly the killing blow, but as she came down, blade pointed at his neck, he reached up and grabbed it, blood splashing out of his hand as he threw her back behind him.

He pushed himself to his feet as she flew away again and dodged the new kido coming his way. This time they were red and burned even more when they made contact.

A few errant ones went flying far off path and a distant crash was heard followed by screaming as the entrance gate to the division came crashing down in pieces, some landing on poor, unsuspecting squad members who had been minding their own business.

And speaking of squad members, there was a good sized group observing them now, or rather, they had been observing but were now running, or trying to run, far, far away.

With So's utter disregard for their safety, many found themselves taken down by errant kido blasts and straying rubble and shrapnel from the quickly deteriorating buildings around. Everyone who had been inside the dojo when the madness started was long gone. Half of the building had deemed it proper to collapse shortly after Kenpachi made that hole in its supporting wall and it slumped sadly against the ground.

The warriors didn't care, and continued to not care as their swords clashed again in a brilliant flash of sparkling metal and they hiked their spiritual pressure up once more.

The force of their fighting could be felt as far away as the ninth now, where this had all started, and the poor souls of Kenpachi's squad who hadn't been quick enough to run away fell to the ground as the power began to crush and suffocate them.

Gold lashed out at purple as their gazes met and their strength mingled, the respective colors of their souls twining and pushing, trying their hardest to smother the other, destroy them. It was eerily beautiful to those who could bear to watch in terrified fascination.

Kenpachi could feel a slight restriction in his throat, the air just a little harder to breath, and grinned his maniacs grin.

She was strong, she was strong!

Her blue eyes glared hard at him from under all that long hair. They were so full of hate those eyes, so angry, so full of wrath but also… joy, unbridled joy, a violent joy, mixed with excitement that matched his own.

Kenpachi let out a long, loud laugh, his body shaking with the force of it, and pushed her back, using his blade to swing her up into the air where he followed.

She smiled down at him, she'd caught herself and hovered in the air just feet away as he rushed her, sword pointed.

She could feel her body pulsing with her power, and with the strain it caused, with pain, and with the effort of pushing back against him.

He was strong, truly worth the title of Kenpachi in her eyes, no matter how grudged she was to admit it. And this was fun. Too much fun she knew, fearing, somewhere in the back of her mind, the repercussions of this battle.

She was angry, so angry, but also happy. She loved this violent, bloody fighting; she loved this lack of restraint. Having an opponent to go all out against was the most wondrous experience she'd ever had but…

Their swords met again and she twisted in the air, happy for the freedom fighting above allowed. She slid between his legs, it was so nice to be small and fast, and came up behind him, spearing him in the back and all the way through to his chest.

He groaned lowly, the pain was rather harsh but nothing he hadn't felt before, and knew it was time to bring this to a head, and possibly to an end, though he didn't really want to.

One hand on the blade of her sword, the other on his eye patch, he pushed the metal out of his chest quickly.

She stumbled back as blood sloshed and sprayed out onto her hands, and then gasped, her stance faltering further as the golden light that had once only covered his body flayed out in all directions, a bright column in the sky.

He turned back to her, both eyes now in view, blazing gold, and she met that gaze with ocean blue swirled purple as she forced her power up to match his.

She couldn't go higher without Shikai now, and really, it wouldn't change much if she went there. She considered it, but decided against it. Somewhere deep within the little rational part of her mind that could resist her battle lust she knew that releasing that power here and now would do far more harm than good in the long run.

So, instead, she continued to hack away at him, flinching slightly as he made contact with her shoulder, better than her neck she supposed.

They drew away from each other and came back again and again, stepping in slow circles around one another, predators circling their prey.

He bared his teeth in a grin and she in a snarl as they charged each other again, this time holding. Whoever got the best of this one would win, strike the final blow.

They pushed back and forth, trying their damnedest to get the other to lose grip, and were dismayed to find themselves equal.

She moved back first, faster than he could really see, but he swung anyway and caught her across the middle, the tip of his blade cutting shallow across the entirety of her belly.

He charged back at her as she landed on the nothingness of the air and she held up just in time to block him, though he forced her to her knees in the process.

"Ain't givin up already are ya, short stuff?" he asked with a cocky tone and shook her head, hair flying wild around her.

"Never" she said in a whispered tone so calm and cool it almost surprised him, almost. It was a little surprising when she pushed up so abruptly and so forcefully that he went flying back a few feet.

He caught himself though, and for a moment both just stood, glaring hard at each other. She made no sound, but he could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest through the tattered remains of her oversized clothes.

The entire top half had fallen away at some point and he was only now noticing the tight fit shirt, once white, now stained red, that she wore beneath.

"Che, yer pretty damn flat, ain't ya?" he asked with a chuckle and she responded with a curios glance, the rage in her eyes subsiding for only a moment as he trailed his gaze to her chest again and she looked down.

He face flushed bright red and she screamed, launching herself at him again.

He grinned, ready for impact, but that grin fell as his blade and hers met with the wood of a staff placed solidly between them.

He looked down and she looked up into the disapproving face of Captain General Yamamoto.

"That is enough!" he boomed in his most intimidating and patronizing voice, the one usually reserved for enemies. "Put away your swords and end this foolishness now!"

Kenpachi almost, almost, resisted but, when he realized that his partner already had her sword sheathed and was sliding slowly to the ground, he gave a huff of disapproval and did the same.

They landed in the devastated training yard, Yamamoto standing between, and were met by a swarm of squad four members headed by Unohana and tailed by Yachiru and Shuhei, other captains and lieutenants in the surrounding areas, watching with mixed looks of interest, disapproval, and exasperation.

One squad four member in particular, a busty tanned woman with brown red hair, was practically smothering So and Kenpachi wondered idly if they knew each other.

That woman had been his nurse a few times before, one of only a handful that would talk back to him when he tried something. He supposed it'd make sense that they'd know each other and he laughed at it, though humorlessly since old man Yama had done well at putting off his good mood.

"What were you thinking!" the woman, Do, shouted at the small shinigami. "You've made such a mess of the place!"

So shrugged at her friend, head hung not because she was upset for the scolding she was getting and the ones she would get later but because she now realized what a mess her hair had become and that she'd lost all of the clips and pins that had been in her hair. She couldn't even be bothered to care about that single one that may have survived, though probably not if that brute had kept it anywhere on his person.

Dismayed, she let a bloody hand shift through some of the dark strands and nearly cried when she hit a tangle. It was going to take so long to fix it!

Tear stung the corners of her eyes and she pushed past Do, who watched her bewildered and miffed that she'd been cut off, stalking away hopefully in the direction of her squad.

She reached the fringe of the crowd, it had parted easily for the members of squad four certainly didn't want to die, and then stopped. Shuhei, who had started following came up beside her cautiously a hand out to touch her shoulder, though it never quite made it.

"Captain… we should get you to squad fo-"

She'd started walking again before he could finish and, before he could follow again, she swayed, turned, and fell, fainting with all the grace of a bag of cinderblocks as her body decided it was tired and in pain.

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><p><strong>Well, what do you all think? I'm not so great at battle right? But I tried so, there's that. ^^ The next chapter or two should be up in a few hours and I might even start my next story up. That one's about Do~ Hope you all enjoyed<strong>. **As per usual, I don't have a beta, just myself, so if you see some atrocious mistake let me know and I'll fix it. Got any questions or concerns, or just basic comments, go ahead and drop em off. I appreciate every one. **


	7. Consequences

**Hey everyone, here's one of those two new chapters I promised. Give the next one another hour or two and it'll be up. **

**Much love to **Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, and ISgrl15. You're all uber awesome and I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and will enjoy this one too. It's a little on the sad side, but not terribly so. ******

******It's one of those "no one likes to get yelled at kind of things. But yeah. **

**I don't own Bleach and I never will, sadly. I do own So, Do, and our new friend Ko who's name is pronounced like co in coco or cooperation. Anyway, enjoy!  
><strong>

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><p>Chapter 7 Consequences<p>

So awoke four days later in a white, sunny room with a moderately comfortable bed below her and thin sheets atop.

She was clean she realized, rubbing a small hand up her face and to her still sleepy eyes, but incredibly sore. Across her stomach where she bent the skin throbbed as it was pulled taunt when she stretched and then folded in on herself at the sudden pain.

It wasn't terrible, but she hadn't been expecting it and she was far more careful about how she moved afterwards.

Her stomach growled and she realized that besides being wounded, she was also very hungry, ravenous even, and needed very badly to satisfy her appetite.

She moved to get up, swing her legs around and off the bed, and found herself incapable.

With a frown she pulled back the covers and realized that she was strapped down by those infamous reatsu and reishi suppressing bonds that many of the captains and high ranking officers were familiar with and dreaded.

So whined and pulled at them, but to no avail. She was trapped, indefinitely, and the only way she'd be getting her meal was when someone came along and saw that she was up…

How long had she been out?

She tried to gauge time, how long it might have felt while she was so deep into sleep that not even Akumu could bother her, and found herself fully incapable as her stomach growled again and clenched up, screaming at her for food.

A whimper instead of a whine this time as tears collected in her eyes.

"'M hungry!" she said in a voice not nearly loud enough to carry out of the room.

She glared down at her lap for a long while, and then looked around, wondering if there was anything to eat nearby. Her sleep and hunger muddled mind wasn't running very quickly or very well and that made her survey everything around her twice.

Immediately to her right there was a small bedside table a chair, and a little box decorative box of something that she hoped would be food.

She perked up considerably when she noticed it, tears abated, smile on her face, and reached to grab it, carful of her stomach.

"Wha…" she blinked and frowned, her fingertips barely brushed the box's side and let her jaw go slack for a moment, completely unbelieving. What had she done to deserve this torture?

She swatted at the box again, hoping to edge it closer, and succeeded in tipping it onto the floor.

She watched, dismayed, as it landed on the shiny white tile and popped open, its contents, a rather copious amount of candy spilled out and So gave a flustered scream, pulling back from the table, but not before knocking it and the lamp perched upon it to the floor.

"'M Hungry!" she cried, much louder this time, tears back and now rolling down her flushed cheeks. This was absolutely awful.

Her stomach growled one more time and she started crying harder, never minding the group of people suddenly in her room, looking at her with a mixture of pity, confusion, and exasperation.

"Wifey?" a questioning whine and soft hands on her cheeks grabbed So's attention before anything else and she blinked, confused, at the bright green eyes staring her down. "What's wrong?"

Through bleary eyes she recognized the face of her second best friend Ko, Makoto.

Her florescent green eyes were large and worried and her mouth was turned down in a frown. It wasn't often she saw her friend with that kind of look, Ko was usually so happy, but she guessed that it was reasonable for her to be upset if So was upset.

"'M hungry" So repeated for her friend, quieter but still with that tone of frustration.

Ko laughed, it was a bright happy sound and suited her far better than that worried tone of voice. "Course ya are" she said "you've been out the last four days. Ya must be starved!"

"I am" So told her seriously. The tears had stopped a moment ago and the last of them were being brushed away gently by Ko's calloused fingers. It was comforting, and she allowed herself a little smile.

Ko saw it and her own expression brightened even more as she drew away.

"I'll go make ya something to eat, kay wifey. So just wait all nice and patient like. I'll be right back!"

She turned and ran from the room, sliding though the people in the doorway, So could see now that it was Unohana, Isane, and Do all standing there, giving her less than approving looks as their eyes trailed to the mess made on the floor.

"What happened?" Do asked softly, repressing a sigh as she walked in and righted the table, eyeing the shattered lamp and wasted candies with disappointment.

"Ah tried ta get tha box, buh 'i fell, so ah knocked tha table o'er" she responded casually, shrugging her shoulders.

Do let the sigh slip by this time and turned away. "I'll go fetch a broom then" she muttered and stalked away, not upset over the new work but over So's outburst. She could be so childish some times!

That left Unohana and Isane, now entering the room fully.

"Good morning Akane. How are you feeling?" the kindly captain asked, he usual placid smile in place.

"'M sore 'n hungry buh I guess 'm okay" she nodded, hair falling into her face.

"Well that's good to hear." She began to undo the buckles on the straps and So smiled, kicking her legs up and down slowly once their freedom was regained.

"If you would, dress down please" Isane requested. "We'd like to make sure everything's healed properly."

"Mhm" So nodded and slid off the bed. She had to hold onto its edge for a moment, the muscles in her legs loose and out of practice after four days of rest, she'd nearly fallen to the floor. She caught herself though and was able to stand straight in a few minutes, shrugging the thin white robe off her small body.

She sat back down when Unohana nodded and walked over, slowly examining her prone body.

She kicked her legs back and forth gently till given the command, though it came out as a request, to stop, and sighed feeling fidgety.

She gave a little whine as Unohana passed her fingers gently over the scar on her upper belly, pressing slightly.

"This still hurts then?" she asked.

So nodded and Unohana smiled sadly. "You wouldn't have gotten it if you hadn't gone fooling about with Zaraki" she scolded, though with her kind tone it didn't sound as harsh as it would from someone else. "Really, what got into you Akane? You're usually such a sensible girl." Unohana shook her head, the braid about her neck swinging slightly.

"You two caused quite a mess you know" this time it was Isane scolding her, the tall lieutenant had her arms crossed neatly over her chest and was giving So a patronizing look that the smaller woman simply blinked at. That gaze seemed to dissuade her from saying whatever else might've been on her mind.

Do and Ko returned as Unohana moved her hands up to So's shoulders. Both had been cut deeply in different places and it seemed that now So was having a bit of trouble lifting her left arm all the way up.

She winced and put it down as Do began sweeping up the mess she'd made and Ko set a rather massive spread of food on the bed.

It served to distract So rather quickly and she scooted away from Unohana and her prodding hands to begin stuffing food into her mouth.

The meal was largely made up of rice, several pounds of it she knew, accompanied with a few grilled squid, a pile of scrambled eggs, a few boiled ones, and a combination of cut fruits, very smart of Ko since So wasn't quite chewing most of her food and might've choked on pits, seeds, or cores. Not to mention she could get rather miffed when, in her frenzy, she ate the unappetizing rinds of melons or oranges.

Unohana frowned unseen at the blond who stood at the bedside, hands on her hips, a victorious smile on her face.

Yes it was good that So was eating but did she have to interrupt the examination?

It was of little consequence though since So had the platter done off in a little over five minutes, six pounds of food gone like that. It was a little concerning.

"You really should chew your food Akane. It's not good for your stomach to simply swallow it like you do." Unohana offered on deaf ears, So occupied with the task of shoving the tray toward Ko and demanding more.

"Right away wifey!" she saluted, taking back the tray dutifully, a grin splitting her cheery, freckled face.

Once she was gone Do looked back at her little friend and, on impulse, angled her broom towards her, bopping her solidly on the head.

"Ehy!" So snapped, turning to glare at her, though the glare died when she saw the sadness in the other's eyes. "Do-"

"You're so stupid sometimes" she snapped in a very un-Do like way. "Did you ever stop to consider what could've happened to you? How badly you could've been hurt? He almost cut your arm off you know! That one that you can't lift, that's why. And if he'd cut your stomach much deeper you would've…. You might've…" she trailed off and looked away, tears trailing down her dark cheeks.

So frowned and looked away herself, turning away from all of them, sitting on the other side of the bed, legs over the side. She looked out the window, not minding her own nakedness, and slid a hand through her hair, almost screaming when she met a knot.

"You think he… he could've killed me? … Me?" she bit her lip, upset at the scolding, and Do's tears and… and the loss of faith. She wouldn't have lost, she couldn't lose. Never had, never would… sadly.

"I don't know" Do cried softly. "I don't know what he could've done… And I'm glad I don't know but, but that doesn't make it any less possible."

So huffed softly and flinched a little when Unohana touched her back, examining the healed wounds there.

"She's right you know" the older woman said and So tried to ignore her. "And I hardly think it was worth it. All that over a pin?"

"'Ow do you know?" So asked suddenly, turning to face the woman suddenly.

"We asked Zaraki. Though his injuries were worse, he has more stamina than you… He was up and raving even as we brought him in."

So huffed and muttered "brute" under her breath before falling silent again.

Unohana drew away a while later, handing So her discarded robe with a smile the small captain did not reciprocate.

Just as she fastened it, a knock sounded on the partially open door.

"I hear she's awake" came the oh so familiar voice of Yamamoto and So cringed, wanting to crawl under the bed and hide.

While the tag team scolding from Unohana, Do, and to a lesser extent Isane had been unpleasant, So had been dreading this confrontation since she first went after Kenpachi those few days ago.

"She is" Unohana replied. "And in relatively good condition, I'm happy to say."

"Wonderful… Leave us will you?" the old man requested.

So heard the three women shuffle out, the door closing with an audible 'click' behind them.

She sat stock still, back to him, eyes set on the window and the sites outside though she didn't really see anything at all.

The silence stretched on for minutes that seemed like an eternity until he finally spoke.

"Will you face me child? Or is your shame that great?"

She flinched, his words striking deep within her, and rose walking around the bed with her head bowed till she reached him, standing before him. She waited a few seconds before gazing up at him, her blue eyes filled with sadness and worry.

Silence stretched again and this time she opened her mouth first. "I am sorry to have shamed you, Captain." Her gaze fell as she spoke and nodded.

"It is not only me to whom you should be apologizing, child" he said with a gravity that frightened her, shook her far down. It was not a wholly harsh tone, nor was it cold, no, it was fatherly, patronizing, and above all disappointed, so disappointed.

She took a watery, quivering breath and nodded solemnly. "Who else… who else have I shamed?"

"And hurt" he added, making her look up suddenly. "There are currently thirty squad eleven members critically wounded, fifty eight whose injuries range from sever to minor, and three bystanders from tenth, eighth and, fifth who were caught in the crossfire of the fight between yourself and Captain Zaraki."

She sighed and let her head fall again.

"This is unacceptable behavior for a captain, Akane. You are to keep the peace among the sereite, not add to the chaos. To do so voids the point of your position and makes you a danger."

He watched her nod in understanding but she continued to say nothing. It was a little heart breaking if he was to be completely honest with himself. She hadn't been the instigator, but the fact that she had responded was the troublesome part and she had to be punished for her actions. He had to continue talking.

"To each of them I expect an apology, from you, and in person. Unohana can direct you to the whereabouts of most. I also expect a formal apology at the next meeting to myself and all the others for disturbing the peace, and to your squad, Hisagi especially, for your inexcusable behavior."

She nodded her consent once more, eyes still down as she seemed very interested in her toes, wriggling against the tile floor, and asked "Zaraki?"

"He will be making an apology to you, and you are to accept it and cause him no harm."

She nodded again and sniffled softly, trying her very hardest not to cry and show her vulnerability. It was rather hard since Yamamoto was the one she could always cry to.

He saw this, and sighed, his massive eyebrows drooping as the thin line of his mouth made a frown.

Reaching out an old, calloused hand, he rested it on the top of her head and pulled her forward, So going easily into his arms where she began to cry out her frustration and shame.

"I'm sorry" she cried softly. "I-I didn't mean to, Ah din mean ta! Ahm 'orry."

She clutched tight to his clothes and sobbed as he rubbed her back and hair, soothing her as he'd done hundreds, maybe even thousands of times over the centuries.

"You are forgiven, child, you are forgiven."

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><p><strong>Did ya like it? I was happy to be able to write a tender moment between Yamamoto and So since there aren't really a lot of fics in them where he shows up and has something to say that people listen to. He's not a main character but he is a big part of So's life here though, so every now and again he'll be showing up with words of wisdom, kindness, inspiration, or correction and I hope you all don't mind. As always, if you've got something to say I welcome it but honestly, I'll be happy if people just read it and chose not to comment at all. That's perfectly okay too~<strong>


	8. Reassurance

**XD I fell asleep before I could post this. Woops! Guess that's what I get for procrastinating on that essay till two in the morning. Hope you all didn't mind too much. On the plus side though, it seems I have an extra free day, my poor mommy's got a bit of a cold so we're staying home. **

**It sucks, but at the same time, more time for writing so yay~ And I'm hopping to have the first chapters of my three other planned stories up before the end of today. **

**Um, I really hope you all like this chapter, I really like it. It's short and sweet and a good change after seeing So get scolded and all. **

**As always, I don't own Bleach, just So, Do, and Ko, and now, here are the awesome people who have made me very happy =D **

****Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, and ISgrl15. You're all awesome! Thank you~  
><strong>****

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><p>Chapter 8 Reassurance<p>

So was once again hiding in her bath.

Unohana had discharged her shortly after Yamamoto had left and she had polished off another eleven pounds a food.

Thoroughly put in her place, still sore, and not looking forward to making all those apologies to people she didn't know she thought it appropriate to come seek solace in one of few safe places she had.

To keep Do or Ko from intruding she'd made sure to latch the door and sat well over on the far side with her eyes closed and her head resting on a soft towel.

It would be so easy to slip off to sleep but she knew she should try to avoid that. It'd be a rather embarrassing way to die, falling asleep in her bath, and she'd hate to be all gross and bloated when she was found.

Nope, if she was going to die before her time, she wanted it to be a warrior's death, washed in blood and in the heat of battle.

She sighed and let a slight smile touch her lips as she thought of it, though the smile slid away as her mind wandered next to Kenpachi.

He was a warrior as well, a worthy one. Fighting him had been exhilarating, fun, but…

She sat up and slapped her hand hard against the water, frustrated.

"Ah hate 'im" she shouted to the warm steamy room and jumped when she got a response.

"Captain?"

"Shuhei?" she replied, confused.

"S-Sorry to intrude I just… uh- you've been in here for over an hour… I was starting to worry… Are you alright?"

"Mhm" she called, wading over to the side of the tub nearest the door.

"O-Oh well… alright then…"

An awkward silence stretched on, it was only really awkward to Shuhei though.

"'Ow'd ya geh in?" she questioned.

"W-What? Oh…" he wanted to kick himself for stuttering like this but after her fight with Kenpachi, everyone was a little one edge around her. He supposed she wouldn't have noticed though, seeing as how she'd come breezing through just an hour ago and come straight to her room.

He was probably making her suspicious and uncomfortable and he groaned, bringing his palm up to his face.

And it wasn't like he, or they, were upset or anything but they didn't know if she'd simmered down properly, and didn't want to incur her wrath. She was pretty damn scary though, and now they all knew that.

"Shuhei?" she asked again through the door. He seemed a little off.

"Ah, sorry" he sighed. "Your door was unlocked… I know I shouldn't just come barging in but I knocked and you didn't answer. I figured you'd been in there since I could hear the water running early and… well… like I said, I was worried."

He really hoped he didn't sound weird or creepy.

There was a rather long silence on the other side of the door and he wondered if he'd upset her, or if she wanted him to go.

"Captain?" he asked slowly leaning a little towards the door.

It clicked and he stepped back as it slid open, revealing her there, small and wet and wrapped in only a towel.

"U-Uh, Captain?" he asked again and took another step back.

She looked up at him with those big, watery blue eyes, face flushed from the prolonged heat of the bath, and smiled sadly, apologetically.

He was amazed to find that he could be even more surprised but he was when she bowed low at the waist, flinching a little, and said "I'm sorry."

"What for Captain?" he asked and amended his statement when she looked up at him patronizingly. "Uh, sorry… So."

She smiled that sad smile again and leaned against the door frame. "'Cause…" she muttered "ah let ya down." She kicked timidly at the floor with her bare feet, the action made her towel hike up a little and he felt a hot flush threaten to consume his face.

She might be small but she was still a woman, a mostly naked woman, standing there, talking to him as if everything was perfectly normal and she wasn't almost naked. Why was she standing there almost naked? _Why?_

His poor little manly mind, so frazzled after four days of running the office himself, and so close to the deadline, couldn't cope with this… Well at least it wasn't Matsumoto, he'd probably explode if she decided to hold a conversation with him nearly naked…

He better stop thinking about it and focus on their conversation before he said or did something stupid.

Focusing back in on her, and on the words she'd said, and not on her current state of undress, he frowned for reasons other than his muddled thoughts and ran a hand through his shaggy hair.

"I can't say that I follow you cap-… er So. Far as I know you've been doin' a great job around here. It was actually kinda tough with you outa commission these past few days" he chuckled "and I'd been doing that job for almost a year by myself till just a few months ago."

His smile faded when her mouth twitched down into a frown and he guessed he understood then.

"Tha's why" she sighed. "Ah went 'n got mahself 'urt… Ah made ah mess, 'n ah was irresponsible… Ahm sorry Shuhei… Ah din mean ta make trouble for you."

He looked at her and smiled again, fondly. Well damn, that was kinda sweet of her, or at least he thought so, and he suddenly felt foolish for being so nervous.

Yeah she'd kicked Kenpachi's ass, yeah she was apparently insanely strong, but weren't the other captains? That power didn't nullify her personality, which he could only call odd, some strange mix of cheerful, friendly, distant, cold, and wholly insecure but with a grand sense of denial that made her just awkward enough to also be annoying and at the same time hilarious.

It was endearing and infuriating and the fact that she had nearly owned the strongest captain among them didn't change that. It didn't make her any less of herself and he wanted to slap himself for being so skittish.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" he asked, grinning down at her. His thoughts on her personality made him want to laugh and, when she looked back up at him, eyes wide and curious, he did.

"To tell you the truth… we all thought what you did was pretty cool." His grin widened with her eyes and expression of surprise. "It was a really great boost to morale for everyone, hearing that you held your own against Zaraki and, don't tell him I said this but, I'm glad you got to put him in his place. He's an okay guy I guess, but sometimes he gets to be way too much."

She finally smiled back, shyly, cutely, and he took a chance, reaching forward to drop and hand on her head and muss up her hair gently.

She ducked away from him slightly but giggled and allowed the action, her smile becoming broader and happier.

"Don't worry about it" he repeated. "We're all… really proud of you."

She looked up at him and blinked a few times, and for a second he thought he'd said something wrong, but then he felt thin but surprisingly strong arms around his waist and a semi-warm wetness against his front.

She was hugging him. She was nearly naked, and she was _hugging_ him.

If it were any other woman, this situation probably would have gone from bad to worse. He'd either do something stupid or say something stupid and make her slap him, or kick him, or punch him, or otherwise cause him bodily harm.

But, this was So, and if he'd learned anything from her, it was that quiet was often best and so he found himself without the urge to drop some stupid line, or stutter like an idiot while his face heated up, and simply hugged her back, making sure to keep his hands on her upper back.

It didn't take _too_ much effort.

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><p><strong>Very short and sweet don't you think? I really had a lot of fun writing this last night, especially Shuhei's thoughts and opinions. <strong>**And of course it was fun to have him freaking out just a little about a semi-naked So who, if you all couldn't tell, treats being nude very casually. XD Poor thing, I subject him to all kinds of madness. **

**Next chapter will have Kenpachi in it and will probably be up around lunch! And, of course, look out for three new fics later today, probably shortly after that. Two will be for Bleach and one will be for Rune Factory Frontier if any of you play or like that game~ **

**Comment if you'd like, if not, thanks for reading!**


	9. Apologies

**Well, it's way past lunch. XD Mum and I both ended up spending most of the day sleeping so I'm just now getting this up. Probably gonna postpone the new stories till friday unless the writing bug hits me, but the next chapter of this story will be up and out by tomorrow night.**

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter. It's un-beta'd (oh dear what atrocious contraction have I just tried and failed to make?) and I rewrote the entire first half after the chapter was finished so, if you see any sentences that seem out of place, they're probably left overs and I'd appreciate a shout out to know that they're there. **

**As allways, Bleach is not mine but So and Do are. Ko too but she doesn't show up here. **

**And, adding to the list of people who favorite, watch, or comment on my story, let's welcome Goldensaurus! Thanks for the fave. And of course, thanks to everyone else. ******Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, and ISgrl15. You're all amazing! Hope you enjoy. ******

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><p>Chapter 9- Apologies<p>

The sun was low in the sky now, evening slowly washing over the Seireitei, things slowly winding down.

With a yawn and a tired stretch, So made her way to her office, physically and emotionally drained.

She'd made all of her apologies earlier that day, every single one… well except a few.

She'd started, at breakfast, with her own squad. It was a short speech aided by Shuhei and had been met with responses very similar too, but more restrained than, the ones she received from her lieutenant, cheerfulness, pride, and general acceptance of her little mess up.

It had been very encouraging and uplifting, too bad it hadn't lasted.

There was a captains meeting just after breakfast and she rushed there so as to not be the last one in. She made it near the middle of the pack and was rather happy to find that Kenpachi didn't have the chance to antagonize her.

Sadly, that was where her good fortune ended.

Yamamoto wanted to open with her apology, and so she was forced to do as he said.

Stepping forward, she glanced around, her confidence crashing at their disapproving glances.

She stuttered out something to the effect of "I'm sorry I made such a mess" and then, still exhausted and a little out of her mind from all the bodily trauma, tried to step back and caught on the leg of her pants.

She squealed a teetered back, flailing, and managed to right herself momentarily. Another step though, trying to correct her posture, and she was falling forward, and right onto her face.

She could hear a soft muttering among them, and then Kenpachi's roaring laughter, mocking her. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment, anger, and pain and forced herself up off the floor and onto her feet slowly and silently.

She stepped back into line, head bowed, hair over her eyes, mouth quivering out of sight in a disheartened frown.

Yamamoto called for order; he looked rather un-amused and glared hard at Kenpachi, ordering his own apology.

"Why should I?" the beast of a man asked in reply. "All I did was tear up my own shit."

"Zaraki" Yamamoto said in an authoritative, warning tone. He was in no mood for this foolishness.

"Che" Kenpachi clucked his tongue and shrugged, leaning against the wall just behind him. "Fine, fine, 'M sorry for disturbin' the peace or whatever."

Yamamoto repressed a sigh and left it at that, continuing on with what he thought were the more pressing matters of the meeting.

So had stood there, seething silently, just barely keeping hold on her rage and power.

There was nothing she would've liked more than to knock that smug bastard right back to the slums where he came from, but she couldn't. She'd already caused so much trouble, already made so much trouble for Yama-Gen.

But really! How was it that he got off so easy? There was no sincerity in his apology, no remorse or shame, and yet, the Captain General still accepted it.

She clenched her hands tight and tried not to shake, hoping the meeting would be over soon.

When it ended she was out the door so fast almost no one saw her leave.

Instead of running off to her bath though, she went to the fourth and, upon finding one very startled Do with an arm full of papers, nearly tackled her to the ground in a tight hug.

Though confused, she'd gotten used to So seeking in her comfort and could easily tell when her services were needed.

Passing off her work to Hanataro, he was such a sweet young man Do thought, she took her little friend back to her room and let her fuss and rant in private about how much she hated Kenpachi and how much she needed fitting clothes.

Afterwards, Do made her a cup of tea, broke out her secret candy stash, and let her nap for half an hour.

It had been relaxing and refreshing but it didn't make her next task any easier.

Since she was already in the fourth, Do had Unohana point her in the direction of the injured parties still in her care.

Only the ones with minor injuries were out of the clinic and back to work, and there'd only been a few of them.

At best, the division eleven members grunted out their acceptance of her stuttered apology. At worst, they shouted for her to leave and made it very hard for her to resist the urge to finish what she had started.

The members of the other divisions had been kind enough to just smile and nod, but after being yelled at by about forty some angry, injured men, that little show of kindness just didn't make a difference anymore.

She refused to go to the eleventh for the remainder of her apologies and figured that if anyone should be apologizing, it should be Zaraki. He'd brought it upon them by provoking her. If he'd just left her alone, none of it would have ever happened.

This was all his fault.

With a groan, she trudged into her office and dropped heavily into the still too large chair that she'd come to love.

It was such a lovely chair for curling up in, napping, relaxing, working. It was a good chair, a very good chair.

In her tired delirium she began to lovingly stroke the upholstery. Her chair wouldn't yell at her, it wouldn't make her go apologize to people she didn't know or like for something that wasn't entirely her fault, it wouldn't laugh when she tripped or stuttered, nope. Her chair was a good chair, a chair that did its job and dutifully, quietly, held her at her desk, providing comfort and support.

She'd always felt more support from things than people…

Her pets, her toys, even her clothing knew more about her than most people, heard her complaints more than most people, her fears and worries.

In inanimate objects she could always confide for they had nothing to say to discourage or discredit her.

Family was good and all, friends as well, but they spoke too much, judged too much, and she had the faintest feeling that, though her parents undoubtedly loved her and she them, they sometimes wished she'd been different, less awkward, perhaps even a change in gender would have been preferable to how she was now.

They loved her, she loved them, but there was so much to judge…

She thought back to all of the day's activities and almost wanted to cry. A warrior she was yes, but also, if she were to be truthful with herself as she often was, a recluse, socially awkward, emotionally sensitive, and wholly self-conscious in this new world of rank and interaction.

She stopped rubbing the dark fabric and turned to her side, curling up tightly, her eyes closed, meaning to nap where she sat. For most people it would probably be uncomfortable, sleeping in an office chair like that, but for her it was fine. Her small size was convenient sometimes.

Breath slowing, she was nearly out, drifting, when three harsh knocks on the door startled her awake.

She sat up with a jolt, nearly falling out of her chair, and had gathered herself just enough to realize that whoever it was trying to knock her door down wasn't waiting for an invitation in.

The door swung open and she found herself staring unbelievingly at Kenpachi Zaraki, his broad frame taking up all the space in the door way.

His usual grin was gone, replaced with a sort of uncomfortable, grudging frown and he had one arm securely behind his back.

She expected the worst right away and jumped to her feet, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Out!" she demanded harshly, wondering in the back of her mind just who in the hell thought it was a good idea to let him through the gates. She then remembered exactly who he was and realized that, if he'd met any opposition, they were probably a blood heap by now. She made a mental note to go check for injured men or women after she'd disposed of him.

He stared at her, un-amused, his frown deepening at her outburst. "Calm the fuck down shrimp" he growled, yes, growled, and stepped father into the room. "I ain't here ta fight."

She flushed at being called 'shrimp' and nearly blasted him just for that but dropped her hand at his continued statement. "What then?" she demanded, arms crossed over her chest, still painfully weary of the arm behind his back.

He shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably and took another step. She teetered back, resisting the urge to step away. There was maybe, three feet between them now, and she didn't like it. A mile was too close as far as she was concerned.

He muttered something under his breath that she didn't quite catch, annoying her further because really, she didn't want to deal with this.

"What?" she demanded again, her speech impediment gone as an effect of her anger.

"'M sorry" he said, louder this time, her face going from annoyed to shocked as he finally pulled his arm into view, a little clutch of colorful spring wildflowers in his hand.

She blinked at him, confused as he shoved them towards her.

"Here, take 'em" he grunted out, looking away.

She reached out timidly, unsure. "Why?"

Their hands touched and he glared down at her. Sure was a far way down.

"Yachiru made me. Don't get ta thinkin' I like ya or anything."

She snorted out something that sounded like a laugh, humorless and dry though it was, and it was her turn to look away while she drew the flowers from his hands and to her chest. "Ah wouldn't dream it."

He nodded and stood there for a moment longer, eyes drifting from her to the wall she wasn't gazing at, arms crossed over his chest now.

Their gazes snapped back to each other at the same time and both glared, another silence stretching between them.

"Yer fuckin' insane ya know" his grin was back and she didn't like it.

"Ah could say the same for you…"

Something wicked gleamed in his eye and she frowned, her glare hardening.

"Never did finish our fight" he began, stepping forward. That time she did step back. "How 'bout it? Wanna finish up?"

Her brows knitted together and she huffed, letting one hand free so she could charge up and push him back and out the door.

"No" she stated firmly, slamming said door in his face, locking it for emphasis, though it'd be useless if he decided he really wanted in.

Outside, she could hear his booming laughter fade as he stalked away and sighed.

Leaning heavily against her door, she slipped down to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around them so that she could see the flowers, still clutched in hand.

He was awful, horrible, terrible…

But the flowers were pretty.

She examined them closely, some large some small, all obviously wild, probably plucked from some remote field out in the Rukongai.

The bulk of them were pink, blue, or white, very feminine colors that made her giggle when she thought of how the burly man must've felt, walking around with them for however many hours it took him to find her squad.

The one in the middle though, the centerpiece, made her smile. A real smile that she grudgingly accepted onto her face even though he'd caused it.

The rose, bright red, and only a third open, was lovely surrounded by all the littler flowers and she wondered where he'd found it.

The thought and mental image of Kenpachi picking flowers in a vast field of colors with Yachiru beside swarmed her mind and she giggled, mood lifting despite the tension in the air only moments ago.

She didn't like him, but Yachiru was right, she did like the flowers.

Smiling bright, she stood slowly, hugging the flowers close, and began looking for something to put them.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! I quite enjoy the end, just about where So starts realizing that her chair is awesome... Not even gonna lie, I've had those thoughts before. XD It was about my bed though, and how kind it was for letting me sleep on it and all. Yeah, I'm weird.<strong>

**Comments, questions, concerns, or maybe you just wanna chat? Go ahead, drop a review or a pm. I'll get to you when I can. ^^ And if not, thanks for reading anyway. You're amazing! **


	10. Parties and Families and Sake Oh My!

**I'm kinda late putting this up but, upside, double upload. The next chapter will go up immediately after this one! And so will the first chapters of two new fics! Hooray! **

**Okay, this chapter is really Shuhei centric, his thoughts, things through his eyes, and it's kinda a mushy gushy friendshipy chapter XD I hope you all like it because I had a good time writing it. I listened to some rockin music while I did and things just sorta flowed. I'm happy. **

**Bleach obviously doesn't belong to me but my characters are my characters and I'm sure you can tell who they are. **

**Oh, and here are the people I have to thank for faving and such: **

****Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, and Devious Cherub. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ ******

******Oh, and thanks to those who are contented to just read~ You all make me happy too, even though I don't know who you are.  
><strong>****

* * *

><p>Chapter 10 - Parties and Families and Sake. Oh My!<p>

"Morning So… Nice flowers" Shuhei said upon entering the office the next morning. "Got a secret admirer?"

She nearly choked on her tea at the thought and he flinched, wondering if he'd said something wrong.

"'Er from Kenpachi."

"Uh…"

"Yeah."

She shook her head and set down her tea cup, signing another paper. Shuhei ran a hand through his hair, brow creased as he sat down and processed the information.

Kenpachi, the Demon of 78, walking around with a bundle of happy spring time flowers?

So smiled widely when he broke out laughing a moment later, head down on his desk as he tried to stifle the noise. "W-Why?" he managed to choke out.

"Said Yachiru made 'im. 'S for a apology." She shrugged her shoulders and moved another paper from the 'in' box on her desk to the 'out' box, her signature messily scrawled across the bottom. "E's weird."

Shuhei chuckled again and nodded his agreement, setting to work himself.

Time ticked by, silence fell between them, and both felt rather productive as they got stack after stack of paperwork done.

Just a few minutes before noon though, the calm of their office, and their productivity, shattered as the door flew open, revealing a freckle faced girl with shaggy blond hair and eyes that seemed to be glowing.

Shuhei looked at her, startled and confused, as she bounded over to So's desk, screaming something about lunch and calling her wifey.

He vaguely recognized her as one of two people, the other was that friendly woman Madoka, who were at So's bedside rather constantly for the length of her incapacitation those few days ago.

What was she going on about?

"Come on!" the blond called, grabbing at So's hand, trying to pull her out of her chair.

The small captain sighed, snatched back her hand, and stood on her own.

"Isa workin Ko" she whined, but didn't seem any less inclined to step away from and around her desk.

"Please wifey!" the girl pleaded, bending her knees so that she was at a more even level with So. Was everyone taller than her? …No, Hitsugaya was shorter. Okay, not everyone.

So huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and then looked over at Shuhei, a slightly dejected look on her face. "Wanna go ta lunch Shuhei?" she asked him.

He replied with a blink and vacant stare, confused at the sudden change of focus from the girl that he assumed was her friend to himself.

"Ah… Sure. We're we going?"

"First Squad!" the blond cheered, and then "who're you?" She glared up at him, draping a protective arm around So.

"My name's Shuhei Hisagi" he replied, trying his best to sound natural, despite the oddness of the situation. "I'm the lieutenant here…. Who are you?"

She stared at him for a moment longer, glowing eyes wide and accusatory. "Are you trying to steal my wifey away from me?" she asked. So face-palmed rather aggressively, sighing and Shuhei blinked again.

"Um… No?" it was more of a question than an answer but the girl beamed anyway, not seeming to notice or care.

"Well, in that case, I'm Makoto Moru! Squad twelve, seventh seat" she struck a pose, "it's nice to meet cha Shuhei" he took notice of the informality with which she addressed him. "Glad to hear you're a friend of So. Since you are, you can call me Ko." She grinned wide and her semi flushed face seemed to glow, even without the aid of her now closed eyes, and suddenly she made a little more sense.

She was a squad twelve nut and that glow was probably a product of their labs. So was the erratic behavior, though he had to wonder how she survived being a seated officer and that hyper. Maybe she was different outside of work.

"Let's go Shuhei!" she cheered again and he stumbled as she grabbed onto his sleeve and pulled him behind her, free arm still wrapped around So. He looked at her, and she glanced back to smile apologetically at him, to which he shrugged and decided to strike up some idle chitchat.

"Any particular reason for this? And, uh, why are we going to first?"

"Everybody misses So back there. They were gonna send Sunny over to get her, but I was over that way dropping off papers for Captain and they sent me instead. I don't mind though, I'm always happy to see wifey!"

So snorted, exasperate. "Miss me? Isa there e'ry mornin'. Ey jus wanna 'ave a party" she sighed, shaking her head again, but let her friend drag her along, wondering when Ko would realize that it would be a lot faster to use shunpo.

It took about ten more minutes, making So sigh even more.

She was happy though, when the taller woman released her shoulders to grab her hand and dragged them at a dangerously fast speed all the way to the first in a little under fifty seconds.

Shuhei looked windblown and terrified and So thought that it might've been nice of Ko to give him some kind of warning since he wasn't at all attuned to her body language.

"You okay?" Ko asked the frazzled man, leaning against a wall for support. He nodded, a little breathless, and resisted the urge to spit on the ground in front of the two women. He was pretty sure he'd swallowed a bug though.

"Are we here?" he asked, catching his breath. A look around told him that they didn't seem to be near to anything.

"No, jus a lil ways off" So smiled, patting him gently on the arm. "Ah made Ko stop" she laughed.

He smiled back at her. "Thanks for that" and spared a glance at Ko, who had turned away from them, arms behind her back, and was whistling nonchalantly. He wasn't sure if he liked her or not… Kind of like how he'd been with his captain… Kind of like how he _was_ with his captain. She did still peeve and confuse him sometimes.

He sighed. So had taken Ko by the hand and now they were walking away, not bothering at all to spare him a glance.

He figured it was better to just follow after though, instead of pouting and getting left behind.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around as they walked. He was in the first… He didn't spend much time here, never had a reason, and thought that he'd never even been in this particular part.

It was empty, save for the three of them, and nothing seemed to be going on. It was kind of creepy actually, eerie.

He wondered if it was like this all the time. He'd envisioned it busier, with all the higher-ups coming through and such; it ought to be bustling… Higher-ups…

Was he about to have lunch with old man Yamamoto?

He didn't have anything against the old man of course, but he seemed like such a serious, dull character that he wasn't sure he could get through an entire social with him, especially if it was just him and his captain and the crazy chick. That just had 'awkward' and 'disaster' written all over it.

And he'd heard…_ things_… about the old captain's tea ceremonies from Shunsui. That didn't sound like such a promising prospect either. How could he get out of this?

Wait, no… He wasn't completely sure that it was going to be like that! For all he knew, it was going to be a perfectly normal lunch with some of So's old friends and they would be perfectly normal, social, and not old. It would be fun…

Moments ticked by in his mind and he internalized a flustered scream of comic proportions. He just couldn't see this being normal or fun now that he thought about it!

All he could envision when he thought of the first were a bunch of aristocratic powerhouses in the same realm as Kuchiki and bizarre, socially inept space cases like his captain… no offence to her intended of course; it wasn't a bad thing just… He couldn't see himself surviving in a room full of people like that.

So caught up in his frantic musings, he didn't catch them stop and nearly barreled over So, who ducked and stepped out of the way.

He crashed into the wall with nothing to catch him, his hands too busy pulling at his hair, an action he didn't know when he'd started.

Again dazed, he blinked at them, and then at the solid, unblemished wall that stood before them.

"S'okay?" So asked and he nodded, hands now on his sore forehead.

Was it just him or did she make him trip up more than usual?

She smiled up at him brightly though, his blunders didn't seem to bother her at all, and he minded a little less. She was okay.

"Move!" Ko shouted, shoving him aside, and he leaned slightly more to the side of dislike for a moment. He moved though, doing his damnedest not to fall and watched in confused amazement as she pushed into a seemingly random spot on the wall then slid it to the left.

Something clicked and a door opened. He'd heard of things like this from Renji. The Society of Female Soul Reapers had apparently set up dozens of secret door like this one all over the Kuchiki mansion and several places in the Soul Society.

He'd never thought there'd be one here.

He could hear people talking inside, laughing, there was even music there underneath.

A tug on his sleeve got him inside, and he was surprised to see the sheer amount of people.

There were twenty at least, all sitting or standing around drinking sake or tea, it seemed they had both, and eating snacks set up on a table in the back corner.

He recognized a few faces, none of them really friends, but acquaintances he'd had at the academy or who he'd run into during his time as a lieutenant. He was pretty sure that most of them were seated officers.

"Soooo-chiiiii!" He winced and nearly jumped to the side as a loud, squealing call came hurtling towards them.

Turning to his left, he saw his Captain disappear into the arms and chest of a tall brunet who he'd seen a little more than a dozen times, usually with Rangiku and drunk off her face. It was rather surprising to see her here, and he wondered if she was in squad one too.

"S-Sunny!" His captain giggled, squeaking when she was hefted off the ground and swung in a lazy circle. "S-stop!" She kept giggling though, only half serious with her request, and wrapped her arms about the other woman's shoulders.

Her feet touch back down just a few seconds later, the brunet grinning ear to ear. "Look everyone!" she called needlessly; the shout alone had gathered the attention of nearly all present. "Sochi's here!"

She let So turn in her arms, still hugging her about the shoulders, chest pressed against the smaller woman's head. If So'd decided to look back and up she'd be smothered quickly, but she didn't.

Instead, the usually shy captain beamed from under her now slightly mused hair, it wasn't bad enough to warrant worry thank goodness, and waved a tiny hand at the group.

"Hajo!" she said quietly but cheerfully, her usual resigned, almost cautious tone gone. "Isa 'ere y'all miss me."

A unanimous chorus of "yeps" and "yes's" sounded about the room and she shook her head a third time, hands on her small hips, feigning exasperation.

"Yer all so needy" she laughed, squeaking again when the woman holding her squeezed then released, stepping around and away from them.

"Yes, yes we are. But you love us for it, so don't complain."

So nodded and shrugged, stepping farther in herself, waving for Shuhei to follow when he stayed stationary.

"Oh, and who's this now?" A brawny, bearded man sitting at one of the low tables asked, waving at Shuhei. "You're lieutenant, little miss?"

She turned her head quickly, an action Shuhei had only ever seen her use when about to make a retort, and was surprised when she instead launched herself into the man's lap, smile widening.

"Yep! He'sa Shuhei. E's nice."

Mentioned lieutenant nodded a little stiffly at the man and his table of company who all nodded back kindly, the bearded man laughing heartily as So sat up on her knees to reach his head, running her hands through his shaggy hair.

"That's good to hear. We'd have to give 'im a good pounding if he was anything but. Gotta look after you after all." Another laugh and this time So puffed out her cheeks in pretended annoyance and flicked him in the forehead.

"Ah can 'ook after mahself" she protested and he clapped her solidly on the back, knocking her into his chest where she let out a little "oof"

"Sure ya can, sure ya can. Ya proved that, I hear, against that Zaraki fella. That right? Or was it just a whole bunch of bullocks? Come sit Lieutenant! I bet you could tell us the story."

Eager ears perked up all around the room and as Shuhei shuffled over to the table he was disappointed to have to shake his head.

"Can't, actually" he shrugged in lieu of a sigh, had to look cool after all. "I wasn't there when it happened… Honestly, I'm kind of glad." He laughed halfheartedly, expecting to get no rise in the room, but was pleasantly surprised when the others laughed too.

"I can understand." The bearded man nodded, only to have his head grabbed by So who was now braiding his mess of hair, frowning up at him for moving.

Stilling himself, his head anyway, he pointed at her and grinned "she's a monster when she gets riled up. Best ta stay outa her way." He chuckled and swatted her playfully on the arm when she pinched his nose. "She's a strong one, little miss. Never woulda thought when I first met her. Still forget it sometimes now… She reminds me pretty quick though."

Another laugh from the group and Shuhei joined in. This was pretty normal, all things considered, he was a little curious about why So was braiding this man's hair though. It seemed a little odd, especially since he didn't take her for the touchy type.

"Done!" she cheered happily, scooting off her friends lap to examine her handiwork from a distance.

She was rather well pleased, his russet red hair now braided down his head in five neat rows.

"Thank ya little miss" he smiled, passing a hand over his head. "It's always much appreciated." He reached out and nudged her cheek gently with large fingers, making her smile and giggle again.

"Welcome" she sing-songed, sitting cross-legged next to Shuhei. "Yousa take 'etter care of 'er hair. Kay Tatsu."

"Alright little miss. I'll be sure ta do that."

They fell quiet for a moment and the chatter of others resumes. Though many had stopped to listen to their conversation, they picked their own back up right away and seemed to forget about the prospect of retelling So's battle with Kenpachi.

All for the better, Shuehei though, best not to get her "riled up" as the man, was his name Tatsu, was that what she had said, mentioned.

Next to him, So rocked from side to side, hands on her legs, smile on her face. Occasionally one or two persons would come join their little table for a moment and interact with her, making that smile widen.

It was nice, very nice, to see a smile like that. He didn't see them often, especially not lately.

Sure the war was seven months behind them now, and all the physical wreckage had been fixed, all the physical wounds healed, all the dead laid to rest, but emotional wounds were hard to heal, the scars they left were ugly and raised, and the memories never truly died, not without some cataclysmic event.

Hinamori still suffered from crippling bouts of depression from time to time, and occasionally relapsed into that strange Aizen driven delirium. Poor Izuru's self-confidence was still nonexistent, his squad occasionally on the brink of anarchy. And he…Shuhei, he… he wasn't sure of anything. Not sure of himself, of So, of their ability to work together. He found himself second guessing his opinions, thoughts and actions constantly. And he was hard-pressed to trust her, afraid, but unwilling to admit his fear, that she would abandon them as well.

But…

That smile, so happy, and so sincere, so unlike everything that Tousen had been… He'd idolized his captain before, thought the man could do no wrong. He'd trusted him, loved him in that unique way that children, and even adults grown from children, love their heroes, but it seemed that meant nothing.

He may have worshiped the very ground that somber, sightless man had walked on but it didn't mean he'd known him. In fact, he'd hardly known him at all, little past his birthday, favorite foods, and hobbies. Now that he thought on it, the man had been a total enigma, a mystery.

But Captain Igami, Captain Akane, Captain So… So, she wasn't like that, well she was, but she wasn't.

He knew nothing of her besides what he'd gathered himself but he was confident that if he asked, she'd tell him everything, narrate her life's story in a mix of that broken slang and proper, but whispered speech. He was sure that if he got her started she'd be hard to stop, if he showed interest she would let him know.

Looking around the room, full of people that seemed to know her well, well enough to have their own personal nicknames for her, hug her for no reason, pinch her cheeks, tickle her -those last two had ended in half restrained punches on her side though as he watched them happen- he realized that she wasn't as much of a recluse as he'd thought. She had friends, even if they didn't extend past this band of twenty upstanding, jovial shinigami.

And she wanted to share that with him, wanted to share _them_ with him.

She didn't have to invite him on this excursion, she could have left him in the office, free to spend his lunch hours with his friends as he had so many times, but no, she asked him along and he'd come. She'd asked him along.

She wanted to know him, wanted to get to know him, even if she didn't say it out loud, even if she didn't make it obvious. She did her best, he realized now, to include herself in his activities, his interests. That's why she still played cards with him and Renji and Izuru once a week, why she stays up with him on nights that he has extra editing to do, even if she doesn't, settling instead on doing extra work. It's why he catches her looking at him from under that blanket of hair sometimes, looking like she wants to say something, anything, but doesn't.

And why not? He's not sure anymore.

Watching her here, she doesn't seem so socially inept but, he wonders, was she always this comfortable with them? Probably not… almost definitely not. They must've worked for it, fought tooth and nail to drag that sweet, social, smiley _something _that lay at the core of her being out into the open.

That's why only twenty or so, only a handful in the scope of things, were here.

Being her friend took devotion, knowing her took understanding.

She squealed as the man across from her tried to swat her on the arm, never the head he noticed, stay away from the hair. Dodging, she leaned over and toppled into his lap.

He let out a bit of a yell, startled out of his thinking, and looked down at her with a quizzical, bemused smile.

She blinked up, smiling sheepishly back, a blush creeping up her neck into her cheeks.

"Hi, Shuhei" she giggled nervously, holding up a sleeved hand.

"Hey So" he nodded, laughing a little himself.

"'Avin fun?" she asked, and seemed a bit on the nervous side.

"Yeah, this is great" he nodded.

"Just got better!" the second man across from them announced excitedly, pointing to another door that had just appeared.

Out from it came Madoka, Do, and Makoto, Ko, wheeling a cart covered in steaming platters and bowls of food, a secondary cart of Sake jugs and steaming tea pots rolling along behind a slow moving Do.

All around the room people stood, scrambling to push all the tables together into one long surface that a few people, he wondered if they volunteered or if there was a draw beforehand, wiped clean.

Soon it was laden with food and set for the group, Do arranging things with the mastery of a professional caterer while Ko began directing seating.

They got to choose their spots more or less, but it was insisted that So be at the head of the table and that Shuhei sit to her right. It was impressed upon him by Ko that it was a privilege only for today since he was a guest, next time he would be a friend and then she would take back the spot that rightfully belonged to her.

So he sat there, Do across from him, Tatsu beside, food and happy faces all around.

A resounding call of "itadakimasu" sounded and then it was all a frenzy, though a somewhat controlled one, for the food that tasted just a great as it looked and smelled.

Cheerful chatter and idle conversation resumed as it had been, So now striking up conversation with Do and Ko.

Next to him, his new bearded friend poured him a cup of sake and they shared a smile.

"Enjoy yourself, lieutenant?"

"Definitely" he nodded. "And Shuhei's fine."

The man chuckled. "I like you Shuhei, just for that, you get my name."

"H-Hu?" he stuttered, a little confused. Had he purposefully kept from introducing himself?

"It's not a name I like ta throw around; people can get a little odd some times when you've got something they want." He grinned at Shuhei's flabbergasted expression, clapping him on the back. "Tatsuya Morigaimo's the name, Tatsu to the little miss, and Mori to everyone else."

Shuhei blinked, unbelieving for a moment.

"Let me know what ya think of the sake will ya? This stuffs the first of the batch, sure ta be the best. If it's good, I'll be sure to get ya an extra cask. Just don't give it to Little miss will ya? She's a lightweight." He chuckled.

Shuhei nodded, swallowed his surprise, and asked "you own Morigaimo Sake?"

He was glad his voice didn't show his excitement. Morigaimo was one of his favorite brands, but so high end and expensive that he could only ever afford it if he saved for months or if someone happened to have a jug around and was willing to share. It was favored by nobles and, from what he'd heard, was a company that had started expressly for their service. Of course, money was money and they wouldn't turn down anyone with enough money to afford it.

Shuhei wished he could afford it.

Most often he had to wait till holiday parties where Shunsui would break out the best of his stash or Kuchiki would be charitable for a day and invite everyone to his house for a party.

Tatsuya laughed again, nodding. "Surely do. Last Hundred years or so've been my work. You a fan of the product?"

"It's one of my favorites" he replied sincerely. "Wish I could afford to buy it more often."

"Glad ta hear it. It'll make my holiday shopin' for ya easier" he laughed again, this time a deep chuckle that made Shuhei laugh in kind. "And I'll see if I can't get ya discount. How bout it? Half price on one condition."

At this, Shuhei gave him a playfully wary look. "What's the condition?"

"All you've gotta do is keep lookin' after our little miss. She thinks we're kidding when we say so, but we really do worry over her. Can we count on you ta watch her when we can't?"

Shuhei smiled, a happy, sincere smile, warmth blooming in his body as he nodded.

"Sake or no, you can count on me to have her back. I promise."

He smiled back, both of their eyes wandering to the small woman sitting just a bit away, waving and nodding emphatically, speaking that broken speech, smiling that happy smile, forcing them to want to protect her and the joy she radiated when she was really and truly happy.

"Glad to hear it" Tatsuya said, neither of them breaking their gaze. "Welcome to our family, Shuhei."

"Happy to be here."

* * *

><p><strong>Note: Fictitious Sake company is fictitious. And honestly, I came up with his last name on a whim. XD I hope you all enjoyed this one though and thanks for reading! If you'd like to say something, go on and say it, if not, thanks for reading anyway~ You're much appreciated =D And be sure to check out my other fanfiction too. <strong>


	11. Bad Days and Bath Houses

**And here's chapter 11! Right after ten, just like I promised. ^^ I liked writing this one too but, I'm not gonna lie, I don't think it flows as well. Any constructive criticism to make my writing better would be much appreciated. **

**Hope you're all happy to know that Kenpachi is in this chapter and will also be in the next one and the one after that so, we're finally getting somewhere... kinda. XD **

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and people are awesome and amazing and I'm giving them a shout out cause I can. **

****Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, and Devious Cherub. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ ******

********Oh, and thanks to those who are contented to just read~ You all make me happy too, even though I don't know who you are.******  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 11 – Bad Days and Bath Houses<p>

A week passed, undisturbed, calm, productive.

Life in the Seireitei went on. Paperwork was filed, trainings were done, hollows were killed, and parties were had.

The last legs of spring were coming up on them, days were getting longer and warmer, nights more pleasant.

Work was starting to get sluggish.

At the late day hour of three o clock in the afternoon, sun starting it's decent from the center of the sky but still fairly far up, Shuhei found himself looking for his Captain, as did Kenpachi.

They met in a hall, not far from the office, and both stopped.

"She in there?" Zaraki motioned with a jerk of his head toward their shared office, bells sounding lightly, and Shuhei shook his head. Under normal circumstances he'd just keep on and hope not too many things were broken when he returned but, he was curious.

They'd gone a whole week without harassment and now this? Had the demon caught a cold and stayed in bed, or did he have some legitimate business with his captain?

Regardless of what the cause may have been, he felt the need to add to his answer. "She hasn't been there for at least three hours. I'm actually trying to find her. Have something for her?" The last part just sort of slipped out and he almost laughed when he thought of the flowers, now wilting, back on her desk.

Zaraki game him a disbelieve look. "Ya really think I'd been down here for fuckin paperwork?" he asked Shuhei with a tone that implied that he was slow.

The shorter man frowned.

"I wanna fight. We never got ta finish."

His frown deepened.

"See ya."

Zaraki turned and sped off again, it seemed he wasn't going to sit and wait today. All the better, Those financial reimbursement papers were pretty damn annoying and new desks were expensive.

He sighed, looking around. Still, he should try to find her first, not only to drag –attempt to drag- her back to work, but also to warn her that her least favorite person was on a war path…

A war path?

Yeah, that actually sounded pretty accurate because well, Zaraki had seemed, off to him, jittery. There'd been a bit of a twitch in that gargantuan neck and scowl working at his lips somehow different from the one he usually wore.

He walked a little faster now, concerned by his own musing. Of course though, they were just silliness, he was just being paranoid. How off could Zaraki be when he was never really on? How bad could it be?

…Very bad

Kenpachi was having the worst fucking day ever.

He woke up two hours before the ass crack of dawn to Yachiru whining about a stomach ache and, when he ignored her and tried to go back to sleep was promptly vomited on.

Head pounding from a not yet slept off hangover, shows how much he'd been drinking the night/nights before since it took _a lot_ to get Kenpachi Zaraki drunk, he found himself changing clothes to rush her over to the fourth at an hour of day he felt shouldn't even exist.

Being that it was about four in the morning there was almost no one up at the fourth, most certainly not Unohana whom Yachiru favored for checkups.

Instead, he'd been stuck with some stupid little whelp who had better have been on the first weeks of the job because really, if he'd gotten along more than a month at that level of incompetence he might have to go back and kill him.

Under his oppressive and erratically flaring spiritual pressure the young man had swooned but staved off fainting long enough to babble something about a stomach flu that had been going around and shove a bottle of pills into his hands without giving the greening girl a second look.

He returned to his division, a task that took nearly an hour in the dark and with a hangover and sick/complaining child, and gave her the medication as instructed, then threw the sheets and his clothes, and hers in the wash.

He was doing laundry at five in the fucking a.m. That had to be a crime. Somewhere, that _had_ to be a crime.

When he came back ten minutes later he changed the sheets, laid back down, and was promptly vomited on again, Yachiru regurgitating the medicine and the water used to wash it down with a healthy dose of bile before dry heaving for a few minutes and curling up to cry.

He didn't even bother with changing that time, too concerned about the brat to really notice the damp on his chest, he just scrapped off what he could, picked her up, and booked it to the fourth in a record thirty minutes.

He'd come in roaring and startled the, now slightly larger, handful of people visible when he entered.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the pathetic kid from before dive behind a potted plant and he would have gone in for the kill if not for the busty nurse with the lavender eyes.

She walked up, calm as ever, and asked him what was wrong and if Yachiru was the one who had obviously vomited on him. She could tell by the stink apparently since he'd done pretty good with wiping the visible stuff off.

He'd given her the answers she'd needed and then handed the whining girl over when she asked, stepping into an examination room just down the hall.

She of course let Kenpachi come. Thank whatever gods there were for little blessing and victories.

She took Yachiru's temperature and asked him a few questions. Had she gone to bed with wet hair, had she been around anyone with the flu, anyone with a cold, and what was the last thing she ate.

No, no, no, and he didn't know.

She turned to the girl and there was the answer.

Guiltily Yachiru admitted to pilfering snacks from the Squad eleven kitchen before bed, sadly, the snacks she'd snatched were the ones made by the squad members themselves in a cooking class that Yumichika had decided to host, just for the hell of it.

Yachiru had food poisoning.

"It could have come from any number of things" the tan woman had said, patting Yachiru gently on the head "but whatever it was it was bad. I suggest your men exercise more caution when cooking. Improperly prepared foods can lead to things much more serious than this."

She had sighed and he had cringed, watching as she moved over to a cabinet lined with medication.

She'd prescribed something different and had Yachiru take the first dose there, watching to see if the threw it back up.

After fifteen minutes of laying on the examination table the usually bubbly girl had nodded off and did not make another mess.

He'd been so relieved he'd actually thanked the nurse. She'd smiled and assured him that it was no problem just before he sped off.

Do would feel a little differently by the end of the day when seven other squad eleven members had thrown up on her shoes.

Zaraki didn't know that though, all he knew was that he had to do laundry _again_, now at six thirty, and take a shower because he stunk like vomit.

His head still pounded away, and while Yachiru got to sleep he had to wander off and kick some asses.

No asses were kicked sadly… For him at least.

He did get to force Yumichika into babysitting a throw-upy Yachiru, which was just as good, but hardly as satisfying, especially since if the medicine was working right she wouldn't be throwing up at all.

He'd practically dragged the diva out of his sleep, the priss woke up swinging, and demanded that he tell him who all was in that stupid class and to go watch the child while he skinned them.

He got seven names, fifty minutes later he knew that seven men would be going to the fourth with food related ailments instead of ones caused by the bodily harm he so desperately wanted to dish out.

Too bad he had honor. Couldn't kick a man when he was so down he couldn't even get up to the toilet to throw up.

At that point enraged he'd turned to go back to his room only to remember that Yachiru would be there and, at present, he didn't want to see her. Nothing against her of course… well maybe a little, but mostly he didn't want to disturb her and he didn't want to give Yumichika a chance to try and get out of his babysitting job.

So, now at the still early hour of seven in the a.m. he left, off to wander the streets and rooftops of the soul society.

He would've stuck around but he couldn't, he was too pissed. As far as he was concerned at that moment, his thought very impaired, his squad was full of idiots.

He spent a few hours asleep in a tree but woke when a ball came crashing into the left side of his head, where the throbbing was worst, knocking his balance off just long enough for him to fall out and crash with enough force to crater the ground.

Whoever had done it was gone by the time he was up to look around and he felt his tension and frustration rise.

Needless to say, the poor tree and the ball did not survive. Several trees in the surrounding area did not survive. It was a sad day to be a tree.

Tree massacre over, Kenpachi found himself no more calm than before. If anything he was more upset because a splintered piece of wood had lodged itself in his arm. The wound only trickled a little blood when he pulled it out, it was a miracle it had stuck in the first place, and he threw it down.

That's what he needed though…

He needed a battle, he needed pain, blood, fire, strength.

He straightened his posture and headed in the direction of the ninth, realizing that he needed _her_.

And he was still looking, rushing down hall after hall, stopping occasionally to ask frightened passersby if they knew where their Captain was.

He was happy to say he found her before Shuhei, sprawled out on a deck in the farthest corner of her division.

Her hair was down, spread around her in an extravagant spray that shone under the light of the sun. A tea pot, cup, and plate of half eaten snacks were beside her, an ornate kite resting on her stomach and chest.

She was sleeping, her breathing slow, a little snore working up from her throat every few seconds.

Well, that needed to stop. He needed her up and alert.

Stalking over, she was just a few steps away, he moved to nudge her with his foot, not about to kick a sleeping woman.

She caught his ankle, opened one large blue eye, and glared at him sleepily.

"Wasit?" she asked groggily, not seeming to recognize him quite yet.

"Fight me"

That seemed to clear up her vision, both eyes snapping open to regard him with distaste.

"No" she replied simply, releasing him.

He growled. "Fight me."

"No" now she was sitting up.

He drew his sword and brought it down where she lay, knowing she'd move in time to dodge.

She did, unsurprisingly, rolling to land crouched beside him. Her anger was nearly palpable, rolling off of her in waves as she glared up at him.

"What is wrong wit you?" she demanded, flustered. "Yousa jus come 'n attack meh fer no good reason! Yer such a brute!"

He glared in kind, bothered by her questioning, but answered anyway, hoping to make her more complacent.

"I need a fight."

"Need?" she quirked a brow at that, finally rising from her crouch.

He paused in answering, a little distracted by her hair, pooling around her feet on the ground. Was it seriously longer than her? What the fuck?

"Yeah" he finally answered through his disbelief, shouldering his blade. "So stop talkin and let's go."

She scoffed at him and turned her head away, that impossible hair swinging around her. "Yah dun need a fight. Yah need a bath" she retorted, throwing a hand up flippantly.

"The fuck do ya mean by that?" he growled. She better not be saying he stunk. He sure as hell did his damnedest to clean the ick off from before and if he still smelt like it-

"Bath's 'er better than fights fer calmin down. Go ta the bath'ouse n relax."

His scowl deepened and he was about to make his reply but before he could she flash stepped away, a blur of black and white in the sunny spring light.

It took a second for her departure to sink in and when it finally did he threw his sword down, spearing it into the deck.

"Coward!" he shouted after the long gone woman, it would take him forever to find her again.

He tried though, for roughly half an hour, and then gave up the search. He was tired and hungry and wanted a drink and… and a bath.

It irked him to no end that she'd gotten into his head like that but, thinking on it, a hot bath did sound nice, and at the bath house, where it was sure to be quiet and he would be able to relax sounded even better.

Giving one last disparaging glance around his surroundings, he was still in the ninth, perched on the top of a building, he jumped down and sped off to the commercial district.

It took him about two hours to find his way and the sun was dipping lower now at five.

He was exhausted when he entered the bathhouse lobby and was pretty sure that his grumbled greeting terrified the poor woman at the front counter.

It didn't matter though and after he paid he stalked to the back and headed for the men's bath.

He stopped. Noise was streaming out from the dressing room and, when he looked in he saw Shunsui, Iba, Renji, and a host of other male shinigami moving on to the showers.

He groaned. Any other day he'd be okay with the company, but today…

He stepped back, ready to leave and then regarded the other two doors thoughtfully.

He couldn't very well go into the woman's bath, that had bad idea written all over it but, the unisex bath could work.

He walked into the changing room and looked around, empty, and felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. Okay, this would work.

He stepped over to the cubbies on the left side of the room and dressed down, remembering to remove the bells from his hair and nest them in his haori. He hated it when he lost them. Grabbing a towel he secured it around his waist and entered the shower room, never noticing the small bundle of clothes just a few rows over.

He almost turned around when he saw her though, sitting on a low stool with her hands in her hair, working up a purple pink lather, her back to him.

His brow furrowed, if she weren't so damn quiet he would've known not to come in but.

Before he could make his decision on whether to stay or go she turned and looked at him with those big eyes. The expression within them was different than usual though, not hate or anger, not even mild dislike, it was calm, contented.

"Evening" she said softly, nodding to him.

He nodded back out of habit and watched her turn away, still calm.

That was an odd change of heart. Every time they'd met each other's gaze after that initial first meeting she'd tried to glare holes right into his scull but not now, not here.

He decided not to dwell on it now though, thinking could be a dangerous thing to do, and tiring. He was so tired.

He took a seat at the shower farthest away and let the water rain down on him, loosening his hair so that it fell across his shoulders and down his back.

He had no qualms about using the soap supplied there, he could tell from the unusual coloring that the little Captain brought her own though, and so started to work it across his skin and into his hair.

He felt her gaze on him for more than the usual few seconds, both of them had been throwing paranoid/curious glances every few minutes, and turned with a snap. "What're ye lookin at?"

"'Ats not good fer yer hair" he replied casually, pointing at the soap bar in his hand. "It'll dry it out."

He stared at her, incredulous. "The fuck is wrong with ye?" he dead panned. How could she be talking to him like this, like everything between them was a-okay, like they hadn't driven each other near the brink of insanity in a fight so devastating the commander had to stop them?

"Nothin'" she told him, "was wrong wit you?"

Moments ticked by in silence and she finally turned away again, working her fingers through the lower half of her hair now.

Kenpachi put all of his energy into ignoring her, looking over again only when he heard the water kick on and saw her stand, rinsing off.

It took her the same amount of time to wash her hair as it took him to wash his whole body and he wondered just how long she'd actually been there.

He rinsed off too though, pushing those thoughts out of his mind, and they shut off the water at nearly the same time, heading for the bath.

So stretched as she went along and pushed her hair up and out of her face, a large portion of it wrapped tight around her wrist to keep it from dragging on the floor. The rest of it hung about her shoulders and down her font and back, making a sort of garb to cover her as she went along with no towel wrapped about her body.

Kenpachi quirked a nonexistent brow when he noticed and she shrugged at him, pausing at the door.

"Truce?" she asked softly.

"What?"

"Here… Let's get along? Isa dun wanna fight here… I like it 'ere" she looked longingly at the steaming pool just feet away and he looked there as well, the sight of it calming him slightly.

He supposed he could understand that request. This was a place to relax…

"Whatever" he said, shifting his weight, hand holding a little tighter to the towel tied loosely around his waist. "Ye gunna go in or what?"

She smiled and waved a hand "after you."

He grunted and walked in, sighing with contentment when he dropped his towel and sunk into the hot water.

She joined him a few seconds later, sitting just across the way, a smile on her face as she sunk in all the way to her chin.

"Isa nice, right?" she asked him minutes after they'd come in. She really was trying to get along with him here, wasn't she.

"Che" he shrugged his massive shoulders and looked away. It was nice; he could feel most of the day's tension slipping away, the muscles in his neck finally relaxed again. Still though, "could be better."

"Oh… How?"

"Ye could fight me"

"… Shut up Zaraki."

He shrugged again. It was worth a try.

* * *

><p><strong>I like the ending but I felt a little awkward when writing their interaction... Maybe because they're awkward... I duno. XD Anyway, that's it for this chapter. Next one should come between tonight and monday so, keep a look out. Oh, and if you're a Byakuya fan go check out the new story I'll have up called Hearts and Flowers. It's all about Do and captain Kuchiki~ <strong>


	12. Day Off

**Oh jeeze guys I'm sorry . I didn't mean to poof like I did but life got in the way. I graduated, the internet went out, my laptop is terribly broken and now, now I'm off to another state tomorrow night and so trying to update as much as I can. See, even though my internet was gone, didn't mean I stopped writing. I hope you all don't mind the chapter influx but if I don't take my laptop, still broken by the way, I won't be able to update for another month. I really hope you all aren't too mad and if you are I really am sorry. **

**This and the next several chapters have Kenny in them so I hope that makes up for things a little~ **

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So, and people are awesome and amazing and I'm giving them a shout out cause I can. **

****Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, ********Alix117 and suney******** You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ ******

**********Oh, and thanks to those who are contented to just read~ You all make me happy too, even though I don't know who you are.**********

* * *

><p>Chapter 12- Day Off<p>

Days skipped by, rolling around to the weekend. The sun shone happy but strong over the soul society, noontime rays hotter than ever as spring slowly faded away.

It was a nice day, a good day, and a day off.

Yes, a day off, for So and Shuhei at least. The ninth was having a leisure day, hoping to keep everyone calm and complacent in the face of certain… circumstances.

Namely, that Kenpachi was back. Though it seemed he and So were past his violent exits out the window, especially since he often used the door now, it didn't make the fact that he showed up every day around the same time any less real.

Instead of in the evening he came just after noon, around one when Shuhei and So were returning from lunch breaks or getting back to work.

He came in through the door, they'd tried locking it once and he broke the handle, and made himself comfortable in the largest of their spare chairs just across from her desk.

Sometimes he spoke to Shuhei, others he ignored him. Regardless of that though, he always talked to So, or at her, about why she should fight him, trying to goad her into battle.

She wasn't responsive, ever… Well besides the occasional "shut up Zaraki" that would bring silence to the room for a few minutes as the beast amazingly complied.

Sometimes Yachiru was there too. So was far nicer to the little girl and often gifted her with candy from a stash hidden somewhere near her desk. Neither Shuhei nor Yachiru could quite figure where that location was and Kenpachi didn't bother to think on it.

Yachiru liked her though and So liked her back which was far more than she could say about Kenpachi.

And speaking of Yachiru…

"Hey Kenny! What's that?"

She pointed up at the sky, more precisely at the colorful object fluttering about in it, and pulled herself higher up on his shoulder to get a better view.

He grunted in reply, turning his singular gaze to the area his lieutenant was staring so fixedly at, and recognized the item immediately.

"'S a kite."

"A kite?" she chirped and then cooed excitedly as another rose into the air, followed by one more colorful blip. "Aren't they over by Tiny's squad?"

"Yep" he nodded.

"We gonna go see?"

"Yep."

His grin turned sharp as they sped off, it was a lot easier getting places when they had a marker straight ahead and in the sky, and his little companion tightened her grip on his shoulder, chatting away about what she thought the kites might be for and who she thought might be flying them.

"Ya think it's Shu-shi?" she asked as they dropped onto a nearby rooftop.

He shook his head and took another leap, landing just a few yards from the small woman. "Che. Didn't take ya fer a slacker" he said lowly, leaning against the wall just behind him as Yachiru scrambled down to meet So.

"Is mah day off" the small woman shrugged, sparing neither of them a glace. She was, at present, too occupied with keeping control over her three kites. There was a special skill to this, an art to keeping them aloft without letting the strings tangle or the frames collide and she wasn't going to break such a high level of concentration for the likes of Kenpachi Zaraki.

"How're you doin that?" Yachiru quipped from her side and So smiled softly.

"Very carefully." Yanking on one of the sheer strings she sent a kite, one shaped and colored to resemble a hell butterfly, dipping lower than the rest, circling around the sky. It just barely avoided the other two, coasting under them, and Yachiru giggle with childish glee, clapping her small hands together.

"Can I try?"

"Hmm…" So hummed softly and let her head loll from side to side as she thought the request over.

She was quite in love with her kites and to have one destroyed by the child would certainly break her heart, if only for a little while. She wasn't so sure…

"Might fly away Chiru" Kenpachi said, stepping towards the two. "Surprised she hasn't, runt like that."

So's arm twitched minutely and her face flushed, but she kept her eyes on her kites. "Shush!" she snapped and he roared laughter.

"Strike a nerve shorty?"

Another twitch and this time it was enough to throw off her positioning. In just seconds, before she had time to correct it, all three were tangled together and came crashing down to earth.

She turned on him, eyes blazing and surged forward, a small foot connecting with his head hard enough to knock him down.

She was fast.

Forcing himself back up he readied himself for battle but was disappointed to see that she was no longer there.

She was very fast.

Looking across the yard he saw her crouched over her fallen kites, hands working busily at something, probably trying to untangle all the string.

He and Yachiru both moved her way, leaning over her, watching her work.

"How come they fell?" Yachiru asked with a child's innocence and So had to resist snapping.

"Th' strings got all 'angled tagether cause your capin' distracted me" she settled with, instead of the biting comment that had almost slipped from her tongue.

"It's not Kenny's fault that you pulled the strings wrong!" she defended and So suppressed a sigh.

She'd heard before that Yachiru would defend to the death Zaraki's honor, even when he was in the wrong, and that she always took his side. She hadn't been so sure of the validity of these claims but now she believed.

She couldn't hold it against the pinkett though she guessed, she was a daddy's girl too, she knew that feeling. "If ya sa' so" she muttered, conceding with the girls opinion for now, more focused on retrieving her kites.

Quiet moments ticked by and then,

"They're not broken, are they?"

So looked up and Yachiru was staring down at her from Kenpachi's shoulder, a sad frown on her face, eyebrows knitted together. Her voice was full of concern. She didn't want the kites to be broken.

So saw this, and shot the girl a soft, sweet smile. "Nah." She shook her head. "Jus 'angled s'all. No worries."

With a few more twists she had all three freed from each other and spread on the ground. She held a hand out, motioning to them and smiled when Yachiru cheered, jumping from her perch to look them all over closely.

In addition to the hell butterfly there was also a classic diamond colored bright red and a rainbow koi. She awed and oohed over them, touching their surfaces gently under So's ever watchful gaze, mesmerized. "They're real pretty."

"Mmhm" So nodded.

"Can I fly one? Pleeeassse?" she asked, pulling her sweetest, cutest puppy-dog face.

"Hmm." The petite woman hummed softly to herself, considering it. She wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not. But Yachiru was so cute… She bit he lip and crossed her arms, expression staying thoughtful, Yachiru staring at her fixedly while Zaraki loomed over them large and imposing, arms crossed over his chest as he watched disinterested.

She sighed, just about to give in when,

"Captain! I'm back."

"Hi Shu-Shi!" Yachiru quipped, the kites temporarily forgotten as her fellow lieutenant stepped through the sliding door, arms full of snacks, the bag labeled Konpieto catching her eye quickly. "Is it snack time?"

He blinked down at the child suddenly at his feet and gave a weary smile.

"Yeah, I guess it is… Uh, do you-"

" 'Ere." So said, snatching the candy from her lieutenant to shove it at the little girl.

When exactly had she gotten beside him? He blinked down at her wondering and a little startled but smiled back when she quirked a cheerful look at him. He was starting to get used to her just popping up, but it was still a bit unsettling.

"Set t'rest of it down" she told him, waving dismissively at the porch and the pillow covered blanket spread out on it. "Isa go get tha tea."

"Alright" he nodded, depositing the load in the center of the colorful mess. He looked to her curiously when she stopped in the doorway and turned.

"Yah stayin?" she asked and he realized the question was for Zaraki and Zaraki only. It was obvious that if there were snacks Yachiru would be staying but they never quite knew what the hulking captain would chose to do.

"Got any sake?" he asked, stepping nearer to the porch.

So scrunched up her face in a part way thoughtful part way peeved expression, he supposed she would be a little upset since he had no real right to ask for anything under current circumstances, and then nodded. "Ah t'ink so."

Kenpachi gave a wolfs grin and stepped up onto the porch, dropping heavily onto the largest of the pillows colored deep purple and embroidered with gold while she turned back around and skipped back inside.

Yes, she really did skip.

Shuhei laughed a little at the action. It was further dramatized by all that long hair, today in braided pigtails, bouncing around her as she went and he wondered not for the first time if the weight ever strained her neck. It had to be heavy.

Maybe one day when he knew her better he'd pluck up the courage to ask… not now though, certainly not now.

He looked back at their new company and took the seat farthest from both of them, across and a little ways off to the left.

Yachiru was going to town on the candy, colorful blips of stickiness already clear on her fingers and a few places on her cheeks, and Zaraki sat cross legged, sword on his lap, eyes, or rather eye, closed.

Shuhei felt suddenly very, very awkward.

These were two people he did not often communicate with, and for good reason. He did value his life to some extent, even if he did do stupid things from time to time. But now, here he was, sitting so very near to them both, much nearer than he could ever remember, and he felt a slight sweat breakout on his forehead that wasn't necessarily from the heat.

_Act natural Shuhei, act natural _

Sure he told himself that but could he pull it off? If he were to be honest with himself he'd realize that he hadn't _acted natural_ for the last several months. Sure he'd acted close to, but never really natural, never really quite the same. A little more awkward maybe, a little more unsure. He figured he was catching it from the tiny woman walking through the door-

She was back!

He suppressed a happy chortle at the realization that he was no longer alone, left to sit there gawking at the two, and the smile presently on his face widened without him knowing.

"'Appy bout some'tin Shuhei?" she asked suddenly and he realized that he had made a fool of himself despite everything, grinning like an idiot.

He sighed, shaking his head. "It's just a nice day is all" he told her, and she beamed back at him.

Shuhei was so nice, and always happy. She really enjoyed his company.

"Oy, woman" Kenpachi grunted and So let her smile drop a little. She wasn't too fond of him though. He was so gruff and mean and always calling her short. Not to mention the fact that he was always trying to get her to fight…

Well actually that didn't bug her so much, she liked fighting, what bugged her was the way he went about it and the way he didn't care about the consequences their fighting would make. She'd gotten in quite a spell of trouble with her parents because of their little battle before and she did not want to go through another week of intense control training.

She liked sleep damn it! And food!

With a displeased huff she sat down and shoved a porcelain saucer into his hand before filling it up for him. She did the same for Shuhei who took it with a hesitant smile and set the jug away by Zaraki. He could be in charge of the booze now.

She poured tea for herself and Yachiru, popped open a bag of rice crackers, and let silence settle over the group.

Quiet moments ticked by, oddly peaceful, oddly comfortable and when she finished off her snack she let gravity tip her backwards so that she was lying sprawled out under the warm sunshine. A soft, squeaky yawn left her mouth too fast for her to cover and she giggled out a soft "scuse me."

"For what?"

So gave a startled "oof" as Yachiru hopped over onto her stomach, pink eyes quizzical.

"Hu?" So asked, thoroughly confused.

"Why'd ya say excuse me? Excuse you for what?"

So furrowed her brow "Ah yawned."

"But why'd ya say excuse me?" the girl pressed.

"Cause thas ow ah was taught"

"Why?"

"Cause is polite."

"Why?"

"Cause tha stick up er bum nobles say so."

Shuhei almost choked on his sake at that and Kenpachi opened his eye to regard the small woman making his Chiru laugh like that, a grin on his face.

She was actually pretty alright when he got down to it, when he got to her. She was… spunky, a fighter in more ways than one. He'd started noticing it after he started visiting again, trying to convince her, coax her into battle without causing another scene.

She didn't speak to him, not in a conversational way, no, she just said two words… sometimes three if she added his name. "Shut up" that's all it was, just 'shut' and 'up'.

It was a simple phrase in and of itself but the fact that she was saying it to him, with such seriousness, such boldness, and without a trace of fear or hesitation…

She'd said it in the bathhouse sure, that one time, but he'd figured the steam had gotten to her head and she wasn't watching her mouth. Heck, he was pretty sure she'd yelled at him some time before, during their fight, before it? But that was all heat of the moment so he couldn't count that either.

He really took notice when she said it in her office though. Casual and right there, a little assertive sure but it was a lot like when you're asking someone to get you something, but you've asked about forty fuckin times already and now your pissed so it's an order instead of a request.

And that first time he'd been shocked, so shocked that he did exactly what she'd said, he shut his mouth and stared at her, waiting for some signal that she regretted her words.

She didn't look up from her work, didn't falter, didn't even bat one of her damn near to impossibly long eyelashes. After he'd kept quiet for a good five minutes he watched a smile stretch her lips briefly but that was all.

He'd taken her for some weird little pansy with anger issues but no, after that he knew that she was a spit fire dame all around. There was no sometimes to her flare, it was always present, bubbling just under that shy surface. He could see it, and damn it all did he feel foolish when he realized he could see it. All he had to do was look into her eyes, those freakishly wide eyes, large and blue and _innocent _if you didn't know what you were looking for.

But he knew what he was looking for.

That was a killers gaze right there, a killers stare, predatory and dark drowned in cerulean blue. He had to guess it was one of the prettiest things he'd ever seen…

A sneer graced his features as that thought ran through his head and he gazed down at the sake, now about half empty.

'_Must be some good shit if it's fuckin up my head like this'_ he mused and poured himself some more, eye drifting back to the girls who were now giggling madly at something new, So running her small fingers through Yachiru's bright hair.

"'S soft" she commented with a smile and approving nod. "Ya dun wash wit soap do yah" and she spared Kenpachi a, he couldn't quite believe this, teasing glance and smile that he returned with a raised brow and shrug of his massive shoulders.

Might as well keep the peace for a little longer. The sake was good… And so was the company.

So giggled at him and returned her attention to the child like shinigami on her torso, Shuhei leaning away as a stray, flailing arm belonging to one of the females nearly smacked him in the face.

He was a little amazed at the fact that he still had so much control over his body, what with six cups of strong, high quality sake down and the shock of seeing Zaraki and So have a civil bit of interaction he felt that the world was swimming, everything floating about him in a pleasant, confused buzz.

He was also amazed at a sudden realization, a realization that his captain and captain Zaraki were eerily alike.

Sure So was tiny, polite, shy, and female but besides those things the similarity was striking. Both held power of terrifying levels, both ate gargantuan amounts, both were fighters through and through, even if So was more controlled in her fighting, they were sturdy, and stubborn, gruff, though So a bit less, and… And they both had good hearts.

As hard pressed as many were to admit it, Kenpachi did have to have something at least vaguely resembling a heart to put up with Yachiru for as many years as he had, to raise her like he had, and So, though reserved and quiet and shy, was kind and sweet and loved loyally those who loved her.

Shuhei looked from one to the other as inconspicuously as he could, which wasn't very thanks to his alcohol addled brain, and came to one more conclusion.

They could've been great friends, had circumstances been different. Could still be great friends if Zaraki could stop poking at her…

It was a terrifying thought really, the two of them in alliance. What if they…

"Oy, Igami"

Kenpachi's deep voice cut through the girls laughter and his musing like the edge of his jagged blade and the called captain sat up to gaze at him curiously. It was the first time he'd ever said her name.

"Fight me."

Shuhei gave a mental sigh of relief. If he was back to that again it'd be a long time in coming before those two got toge-

"Okay"

What? He tried to vocalize but only succeeded in tipping forward onto his face. A moment later he rocked back onto his bum and got out "Really think thas a good idea Sos?"

He was proud of the fact that there was minimal slurring in his speech, enough that it could be attributed not to being mildly drunk but to the face plant he'd accomplished just moments ago.

Zaraki's eye sparkled dangerously, grin widening while Yachiru cheered as So nodded.

"Buh" she began and the demons grin faltered a little. "Yama-Gen 'as ta be 'er… N weh gotta 'ave rules… Can't go 'stroyin things again."

"Bull shit" the large man called, crossing his arms over his chest and So just smiled back a deceptively innocent little smile.

"Wanna fight?"

"Yeah"

She shrugged arms up in a 'well then that's that' manner and he glared, his single hazel eye locking on with double blue, for once un-obscured by that veil of hair.

Shuhei's thoughts scrambled for a moment before realigning. _'Well'_ he reasoned _'Zaraki will never agree to that! We're in the clear.'_

"Fine" the demon huffed.

'_Damn it!'_ Shuhei's mind screeched. Something about this just had **destructive **and **life threatening** written all over it, probably the fact that he'd be expected to be at the battle this time.

"Tomorrow?" So asked.

The grin returned and the larger captain drawled out "sounds good."

So smiled and Yachiru hopped up and down, excited for the fight and – oh! Seems she remembered the kites. Now tugging on So's sleeve asking her to let her fly one Shuhei figured his Captain must be in a very agreeable mood because she conceded, leading the girl away as Kenpachi reclined on the pillows, apparently ready to take a nap.

Watching the two tiny girls, now hoisting kites into the sky, and the large brawny man quickly drifting off into a nap, Shuhei felt his eye twitch and reached for the still half full cask of sake.

If this was going to be the last day off, the last day of any kind in his life, he wanted to end it piss ass drunk… Maybe he'd even go serenade Rangiku. Couldn't hurt to try, right?

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter there shall be a battle~ It'll be up right after this so, head on over and thanks again for reading!<strong>


	13. Warriors are Roses

****A battle chapter! So and Ken finally get that real fight they've been wanting! Tis a turning point I do belive.  
><strong>**

****Though I'm not particularly good with battle scenes this was one of my favorite chapters to write, thinking about it was quite the experience and the vision I had in my head was pretty cool. The two of them are real titan so them going at it was an interesting thought. I'd like to see it illustrated some day XD.  
><strong>**

****As always, Bleach isn't mine just So and Do and Ko and these people are awesome:  
><strong>**

****Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, ********Alix117 and suney******** You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ ******

**********Oh, and thanks to those who are contented to just read~ You all make me happy too, even though I don't know who you are.**********

* * *

><p>Chapter 13 – Warriors are Roses<p>

It had taken a measure of convincing to get Yamamoto's consent for the fight. He was understandably hesitant after the last debacle but with So's promise that they would fight under his restrictions and away from everyone the old man had finally agreed.

He had always been rather hard pressed to deny So anything and now was no different, though that fact went unknown by most.

They'd settled on rules and on a time and then they'd warned, told, the residence of the Seireitei. Hopefully things wouldn't get out of hand but it was always good to cover your bases.

The rules they'd agreed on were simple. So was allowed to jack her spiritual pressure up to match Kenpachi's but no more and he wasn't allowed to remove his eye patch. She was not permitted to use Shikai or Bankai. They were to stay within the confines of the rural training field, that would be quite easy since it was very large, and were not to aim any attacks at spectators, of which there were a good group gathering now.

Also, they were not to kill each other. The battle was over when one either passed out or was put in a position they could not escape without near to deadly harm. It could also be stopped by Unohana if she deemed one of them too injured to continue safely… as safely as was possible when you had two people like So and Kenpachi going at it, or if Yamamoto felt it was getting out of hand.

So didn't plan for that to happen, she was in a much more stable state of mind since she hadn't been provoked into battle, and was actually looking forward to it as she arrived on sight with Shuhei just a few minutes before their decided time.

It was just past noon, it seemed she accomplished, or didn't accomplish, many things during this time of day and she smiled at the sun shining down on her and on the gathering spectators. It was warm and cheerful and hopefully a blessing upon her, an assured win.

In the light, little particles of dust from the sparse training field fluttered up and floated about as she walked and she smiled a little wider, dust could be a good cover, if she needed to slip away from Zaraki she'd remember that fact.

"Fun" she murmured, head lolling from side to side as she walked, arms up around the sword perched across her shoulders.

Shuhei glanced at her vocalizing a small "hm?" as he registered her voice. He was marveling more at the sword honestly, a purple hilted nodachi that measured at least five feet, but he didn't want to seem out of it. He was trying not to make obvious his hangover.

"Nothin" she chirped back at him quietly, her gaze far away and dreamy, her smile even softer than usual. She was looking forward to this, yes, she was really looking forward to this.

In truth, all those times she'd shot Kenpachi and his offers of a battle down had been a great practice in self-restraint and exercising good judgment. It had been hard to say no, very hard, after she'd simmered down a little from her rage and sulking, and even before that, when she was still aggravated.

She loved fighting, loved it just as much as she loved sleep and food and baths. It was second nature to her, instinctual. Drawing a blade, taking a life, cutting down any who stepped into her path, it came just as easily as breathing, and for good reason.

She was bred for this, raised and trained and taught for this… And for bearing children of course, but that was another matter entirely… Or was it.

She frowned suddenly and Shuhei jumped as her power flared and then settled. "You alright?" he asked, hoping it was a safe question to pose.

She nodded absently and tightened her small hands around the swords' hilt and sheath, knuckles going white.

If she lost… Well she'd have to keep that from her parents now wouldn't she?

She bit her lip and shook her head lightly, batting away those distracting thoughts. She wasn't going to lose; she hadn't lost yet, to anyone. Her strength alone was enough to crush most and to those that could stand against her… well, she supposed she'd never fought them.

Another frown.

Besides her parents, she'd never had a real challenge, not like this. She'd never gone against someone who was willing to go all out, to draw blood. Every battle she'd ever stepped into was weighed, and always in her favor… Boring.

A wicked smile split her face in two and a cheery but off putting laugh tittered out of her throat. Shuhei slid a step away but she didn't notice.

This would be great fun.

She came to a stop in the middle of the grounds, Shuhei continuing on to stand with the rest of the gathering group.

So far it seemed that most, if not all, of the captains would be in attendance. Sizing her up he believed since none of them had actually seen her fight yet, only seen the aftermath. There were also several people from their own squad, there to show support for their captain, and several people from Zaraki's squad, supporting their captain.

There were a few other lieutenants too, Renji one of them he was glad to see, and several squad one members that he recognized from the party.

A prepped team of squad four members were off to his left and he noticed Madoka among them, wringing her hands together nervously.

If he remembered correctly, So told him that the older woman deplored fighting and violence of any kind. She was a good friend then if she could stand to watch this just to make sure So was okay in the end.

And that was the lot of them, plus a few more extras that he didn't quite know and the straggler spectators just arriving.

Now all they needed was the other fighter and things could begin.

So smiled and turned as he came rushing in a moment later, power bearing down on her savagely, and stopped just short of running her down.

She didn't falter, just craned her head up to look at him with a wicked grin that matched his own.

"Hey" he greeted as the crowd around them fell still and silent, so silent she could hear the bells in his hair jingle with the passing of a soft breeze.

"Hi" she replied, brushing a stray hair back behind her ear. She hoped it wouldn't come down in the excitement, she'd braided it special so it wouldn't, the thick braids of black wrapped about three or four times to look like a crown around her head the rest of her hair falling lose from the center wrap, reminiscent of a pony tail that fell just past her knees.

It was pretty, but she didn't care. If it came down, she'd deal with it later.

Right now, right now all that mattered was this man, large and imposing, and his sword chipped and rough but still sharp.

As they walked to their respective places her mind, of its own accord, entertained the thought that the two were alike he and his sword and that she and hers were vastly dissimilar.

She laughed at it and then pushed it away, emptying her mind of everything as she swung her blade out of its sheath, letting the now unnecessary item disappear to the air.

Yamamoto came forward and recited their agreed upon rules for clarification and show and she took three deep breaths, emptying her mind.

One, be calm.

Two, be smart.

Three, be lethal.

Across the field Kenpachi watched her eyes glaze over and his hardened, grin widening to expose wide rows of teeth that seemed suddenly very sharp. She was different now he realized. The woman maybe twenty paces away from him was a whole new monster compared to the aggravated, wrathful girl from a few months ago.

Yamamoto backed away a safe distance and rose his staff, bringing it down harshly a moment later to crack against the earth with a loud, echoing cry. "Fight!"

They were a blur of black and white. Silver and orange came betwixt them as their blades crashed together with shrill cries of their own, sparks flying.

They held that stance, blades crossed, for maybe five seconds, pushing against each other, eyes locked, gazes hot and full of reflective insanity.

Kenpachi growled at her, the noise animalistic and heady, ending it with a snarl that she matched with one of her own and then twisted his blade, sending her to fly away before pursuing.

After that initial movement, they were almost too fast for anyone to see. What they caught were blurs of their uniforms, So's hair trailing behind her, and splashes of scarlet that rose into the air before showering the ground liberally. It was impossible to tell who exactly the blood was coming from.

There were a few times every now and again when they would deadlock and stair each other down through a cross of silver. That's when people would try to gauge their injuries. Kenpachi had more, but So's looked deeper they all conclude and kept watching, wondering if either of them even knew, even registered their pain.

Neither of them seemed close to stopping, not even twenty minutes past the beginning of the insanity.

Occasionally they'd hear the fragmented sounds of a conversation, a remark, usually rude or crude if coming from the larger captain, and his laughter. It rang right under the clash of their swords with terrifying clarity, and nothing was there to stop it.

Usually, squad eleven was a rowdy bunch, usually they'd be yelling and cheering, throwing calls and insults and acting like the pack of barbarians almost everyone thought they were, but not today. Even Yachiru who they all expected to cheer her Kenny on sat still and quite on the head of Ikaku Madarame, watching with seemingly baited breath.

No one could tell why, and no one wanted to break the perfect silence by asking, but the other spectators believed that it was mostly out of shock.

They were awestruck by the battle, by the power pouring off the two parties involved, by their captain's obvious joy, and more surprisingly by the joy of his opponent. Though she made no noise the glee, twisted as it was, was clear on her face when they stopped long enough for others to see it.

It was terrifying. If asked later on everyone would agree to that fact and there would be no shame in admitting it. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Captain Akane Sachiko Igami is terrifying when in battle, even more terrifying, some might say, than Zaraki himself.

And why?

Well because you didn't expect it from her. Kenpachi sure, he was all muscle and bone and brute strength. You expected him to be a bruiser, to be as gruff as he was but she… She was all small and dainty, feminine, gentle, she didn't even carry her sword on a regular basis for gods sake, and she was so friendly, so soft spoken and sweet.

No one expected to see the bloodlust in her eyes when it came and once it was there they'd be hard pressed to forget it.

Shuhei could see it in the faces of all her comrades from squad one. This was the So they knew, or part of her, a deeper part that Shuhei had never seen and until now couldn't fathom.

He felt cold, and hot, a little dizzy too, a pounding working steadily at his left temple and right between his eyes. How could you hide something like this, something that seemed to be a whole other person, a completely different entity sharing your body and face but not your heart, no surely not your heart?

A name popped into his head.

Aizen.

He shoved it out of his mind, violently. She was nothing like that traitor, nothing like that bastard!

But how did he know? How?

The answer came to him swiftly as another arc of red disturbed first the blue sky and horizon and then the dusty ground.

She put it out there, for the world to see. She was not hiding, not one part of her was hidden, she just revealed it all slowly, as people asked.

He heaved a sigh of relief that was carried off by a soft wind, towards the combatants that twirled and whirled in a bloody dance.

"Tired yet?" Kenpachi asked as he came down on her again, she swiveling out of the way just fast enough to avoid a gash in the shoulder.

"Hardly" she smiled, side stepping him again, coming around to run her blade into his back.

He grunted and laughed, catching her by the arm with his free hand and pulling. He hated it when she got behind him, seemed sneaky, and he made her to face him, cutting into her side just before she could twist out of his grip.

Her blood splashed onto his hand wet and hot and he felt his body shudder in pleasure. There was nothing quite like drawing blood. It was an invigorating feeling and one he knew he'd never get enough of.

And it was even better, made all the more sweet, because it was the blood of a worthy opponent, and it was blood mixing with blood.

She was matching him tic for tack, though his wounds were more hers were deeper. She drew blood, he drew blood, and it mixed on their blades and their hands and their bodies, painted them red and then brown with the dirt.

He threw her, she threw him… She hadn't used any kido yet. All the better, he hated it.

It was a continuous, flowing action, a continuous, flowing dance.

So smiled, she liked this dance far more than the ones at court where silly little boys approached her with flowers and jewels and swords, asking for a chance at this, a chance at battle so that maybe they'd make their conquest and get the hand of the little red flower that was so prized and so loved.

They never stood up, never lasted more than two minutes, they had not been cultivated as she had with so much careful regulation, so much painful training and only a warrior with a like cultivation could stand up to her.

Or maybe…

She gasped as he caught her around the waist and swung, letting her go a moment later to fly yards away. She made to land properly but caught on a rock and instead fell sprawled in the dirt, wind knocked from her, making the world spin.

She still held her sword firm in one hand and made to get up again but…

She blinked, her features shocked, eyes wide, bloodied lips parted to make a little o. Her cheeks flushed, despite loss of blood in her body, and he gave her a predatory grin.

His face made her think of a rose, a wild rose. The kind that had thorns far sharper than you would ever find in someone's garden, the kind that could not possibly be perfect for the simple fact that it was wild, out in nature, away from the warmth and safety of the greenhouse and a gardeners gentle touch.

It was weather worn and hardened by hardship but it was still beautiful, beautiful because it could thrive in the harshness, in the cold and the heat, because it could bloom and grow in a place that may not want it, in a place it may have no right to be.

She winced at the feeling of his foot, stamping just enough pressure into her wrist to keep her from raising her arm or trying to escape. Her throat clicked as she swallowed and the tender flesh of her neck rose slightly into the point of his worn sword.

With bright blue eyes she gazed up at him, disbelieving, her chest heaving as her thoughts whirled about in her head. Had she really, could she really, did this really, was she really?

He met her gaze and the thoughts stopped, his grin fell away just slightly, expression becoming something new entirely.

"I win" he said and though he said it as a statement she thought it felt more like a question, like something he wanted an answer to, an affirmation.

"You win." And she would have nodded if not for the point still pressing in.

They held each other's gaze for a mark longer, both of them breathing hard, bleeding, in pain, both of them exquisitely happy. Fulfilled.

He moved his foot and took a step back, shouldered his blade and held out a bloodied hand.

She blinked, paused, reached out.

Both jolted when their hands connected but didn't part, power shooting up their arms and spreading through to their entire bodies. Both still had spirit energy in an excess and it seemed that it was funneling, pouring out from one to the other.

It wasn't unpleasant So decided.

Kenpachi felt the same.

He pulled her the rest of the way up, they had paused at that first initial shock, and then held onto her hand for a little longer, not displeased to see that she made no effort to pull away.

He shook it, she shook back, squeezed his fingers, and then let go, looking up at him with an expression he recognized right away but never thought he'd see.

Complete and utter understanding washed over them both. Understanding that they were similar, almost completely the same. They needed this, a fight, a worthy opponent; it's what they were meant to do… it was the only thing they knew, unquestionably, it was the only constant they had.

Yamamoto came to them from wherever it was he had been watching, they'd never had much interest in the crowd and had actually forgotten about them about ten minutes into things, and regarded them both with raised brows.

"Is all well?" he asked.

"Great" So murmured, her gaze barely breaking from Kenpachi to regard her mentor. "He won… this time" and she looked back to the giant who grinned in response.

Yamamoto nodded, turned to the crowd and made the declaration, a cheer irrupting all around.

It was muted to both warriors who set their gazes on each other again, So's face, bloody as it was, bright with a smile so radiant and true Kenpachi wondered for a moment if she was sending it towards him or towards someone behind him… There was no one behind him.

He grinned back, not quite used to throwing out real smiles and not in the mood to give one, and reached forward, clapping her on the back.

To his credit, he tried to be gentle and she only stumbled forward a little, laughing softly.

He seemed about to say something but then Do was by her side and Shuhei and a host of others from her squad and from first.

Even if she had lost, they were all still proud of her and she laughed as they praised her prowess in battle.

Kenpachi was likewise flanked by his own men and a few former men, Yachiru at the front of them, hugging him tight despite the wash of red.

He ignored them for the most part and let himself be lead to the squad four members off on the outskirts. Before she was out of view though, lost in a sea of bodies all far larger than her, he spared the small captain another glance, caught her eye, and nodded in response to her sent smile.

As he disappeared from her sight So did her best to suppress the bubbly happiness that threatened to free itself as laughter. She didn't want to seem crazy after all.

But she was so glad, so happy to have found a kindred spirit, someone she could understand and who could understand her.

Their origins may have been vastly different, their personalities as well, but she believed that a wild rose could be just as beautiful as one grown in a green house.

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><p><strong>I duno how well the whole, warriors are roses thing panned out but it seemed pretty cool in my head XD Sorry if you all think I'm a goof though, hope it doesn't put you off the fic. As always thanks for reading~ Any feed back would be appreciated but if not, I'm just happy you read~ Thanks!<strong>


	14. Calm after the Storm

****A Kenpachi centric shows up eventually of course~  
><strong>**

****This one was an easy write and I think it's sorta sweet and reflexive. Hope you all like.  
><strong>**

****Just in case you don't know, I don't own Bleach, just So and any other characters of mine. And these people right here, they're awesome~  
><strong>**

****Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, ********Alix117 and suney******** You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ ******

**********Oh, and thanks to those who are contented to just read~ You all make me happy too, even though I don't know who you are.**********

* * *

><p>Chapter 14 Calm after the Storm<p>

Kenpachi liked peace. Kenpachi liked quiet. Despite several rumors that he lived off chaos, noise, and evil, he liked those calm moments where he was left to himself to think or sleep or simply watch the day pass by.

Those weren't actions he ever had a lot of time to do though, not pleasures he could often indulge in. With such a rowdy group to man and such a rowdy girl to parent his only solace often came in the bath and even then he sometimes had to relinquish his peace for the addition of his water repellant lieutenant.

That's why he liked it here, in squad four. Though he would rant and rave and make a fuss whenever Unohana thought it necessary to strap him down in one of the beds for a day or two he really did enjoy it.

Yachiru had too much respect for the female captain to come about and cause trouble, even when she did visit him, and the place on the whole was peaceful… most of the time anyway.

In his room it was just him and the quiet and he could sleep or think or look out the window as much as he wanted.

Currently he was doing the later… and the second. His gaze was focused out the window at the little garden below and the people milling about there: patients gone for a walk, squad members on break, some tending the plants. It was a peaceful sight and allowed him an outer calm needed to face the storm brewing inside.

Though it was a good four or so hours since the fight, his blood was still up and he couldn't get his mind off the feelings, the rush, he'd gotten going up against a worthy opponent. He couldn't help but think that the battle should have gone longer. What would have happened if she hadn't tripped, because he certainly had seen it happen? Could she have won?

Just like before she'd gotten in many more hits than he did, but the blows he dealt were always harder, the cuts deeper… She probably could've kept on going for a while though, that was quite a lot of stamina for someone so small. What might've happened…

Kenpachi wasn't usually someone to dwell on things like this, but it wasn't often that he got in a good fight and it was even less often that said fight was ended by a fluke like his opponent tripping over a rock. He almost wished he hadn't taken advantage of the moment but he guess that they'd just have to fight again.

He grinned at the thought, his heart beating just a little faster as he remembered vividly the way it felt to have her blood running over his hands and her sword digging into his skin. He rolled his shoulders and grimaced slightly as a sharp sting radiated from the already healing wounds stretching across his back.

She got him good, and he was oh so glad.

The ache in his body was a satisfying one, tangible proof of what he'd gone through, what they'd gone through and the memories, he'd keep those for as long as he could.

The sounds, the sights, the smells and tastes. It was all mostly a wash of red but he was fine with that, once upon a time red was all he saw, just red, just blood…

He'd remember the feelings too though, remember those most of all. Not just the warmth of blood, the bite of steel into his flesh, but that moment after, that jolt, when they held hands and exchanged power. It had been an odd feeling, one he couldn't put a name to, but it hadn't been unpleasant. Her power funneling into him, his into her, not trying to smother each other like before, this time moving in smooth transaction, he'd never experienced that.

His hand and arm had felt warm for an hour after, the lingering feeling of her spiritual energy wrapped about him, settled deep in his chest. When it had left he'd felt… empty maybe, not right at the very least, but it had been an easy enough feeling to shake off and he didn't miss it too terribly.

It had been nice though and he wouldn't mind feeling it again.

Rolling his shoulders once more he leaned back against the pillows of his bed and looked away from the window, eyes closing. All this thinking and quiet had made him tired, even though his thoughts were still running rampant, a constant buzz in his head.

It was… nice. She was nice. When he got out of here they would fight again.

Arms crossed over his chest, he began to nod off but…

His stomach growled and he cracked his eye open again. He hadn't eaten since that morning and now he was half way to starved. He could hardly believe he hadn't noticed it before but now he did and even though he was perfectly capable of sleeping on an empty stomach he didn't want to.

He was ready to yell for someone, the damn restraints Unohana pressed on all seated officers were keeping him down, when a rather delicious smell entered his room.

Grilled meat. Someone outside his door had it.

"Oy!" he called, not wanting them to get passed. "Com'er!"

There was a pause of about ten seconds when there was utter silence and then the door clicked open.

"Neh?" So stood there, head tilted to the side as she gazed quizzically at Kenpachi.

He eyed her just as intently, taking in her dressed down appearance, small form wrapped only in the thin hospital robe, long hair braided loosely and looped over her shoulder, and little hands clutching tightly to several skewers of grilled beef. His eyes lingered on those but then went back to her face, large eyes confused and tired. He wondered why she wasn't asleep and then…

"How'd ye get out?" he asked, for a moment not mindful of the meat that had his stomach doing flips. How had she escaped? If she knew some trick to getting out of the bonds it would be a very valuable bit of information for everyone and something he'd certainly want to know.

She smiled a little at his questioning, and shook her head. "Never in… Unohana forgot to tie me down." And then she giggled and he just had to stare some more, incredulous.

"She forgot?"

She nodded and leaned against the door frame, her smile now a smirk. "Did you… want something?"

And he could've sworn her tone was teasing, would've bet his whole paycheck that she held out one handful of food and waved it a little.

His stomach growled again at the sight of it but he just grinned. "You offerin?"

"May-be" and she drew it out, now openly teasing. "Waddaya want?"

"'M hungry."

"Hmm…" she rocked back and forth on her heels, looking down at her snacks thoughtfully. "I guess" she whispered softly and looked up at him from under those thick lashes. "If you'll promise me something."

"What?" he asked, doing his best not to be short with her, he was getting just a little impatient though.

"Fight me again." She smiled brightly as she spoke, stepping farther into his room after kicking the door shut softly.

"Ain't that my line?" he chuckled in spite of himself, holding out a hand when she got closer.

She shrugged "maybe" and shoved two of the skewers into his hand before dropping into the seat beside his bed. "Do ya promise?"

He just laughed again and ate, looking back out the window where her gaze followed.

They sat that way for a long while, quiet and peaceful. She shared her snack with him when he held out his hand again and when they were all gone she wiped her hands clean on her robe and curled up in the chair. It seemed she was going to stay, and honestly Kenpachi didn't mind.

She hummed a little, the first few lines of a pleasant sounding song, and fell quiet again. He stretched and yawned, cracked his back.

It was the most peace there had ever been between them, lacking all the malice that previously coated their interactions, void of the awkwardness she seemed to radiate till now.

He let his gaze travel back to her and saw her head pillowed on her drawn up knees, eyes closed. She was sleeping, and before he would've woken her out of spite. Now though, now he… respected her. She was a kindred spirit, a warrior, despite her small stature and mild mannerisms.

Now he would let her sleep because he felt the exact same exhaustion that she did and knew it was only a matter of minutes before he was asleep too.

His belly was far from full but the edge had taken off of his hunger by her generous donation of food and he found himself content to close his eyes again and drift off to his dreams, dreams of their battle, and of ones to come.

Did he promise? Damn straight he did! If she let him he'd fight her every day for the rest of his life and, somehow, he knew she felt the same.

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><p><strong>Hope ya liked it. Ken and So are getting a little closer to being friends now which should make people glad. I hope you enjoyed this little, sorta fluffy thing. Things can only go up from here! Or can they? Keep reading to find out~<strong>

**Oh, and if you'd wanna drop a review, it'd be much appreciated. If not, I'm just glad you read. ^^ Thanks!  
><strong>


	15. A Friendly Foe

**Another sort of chill Ken So chapter. Not much to say about it, but I liked writing it. Hope you all can like reading it. **

**Hasn't been Beta'd so there might be some mistakes, feel free to point them out. ^^  
><strong>

**I don't own Bleach, just So and her friends and now I'ma give a shout out to the awesome people who fave or follow this fic.  
><strong>

****Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, ********Alix117 and suney******** You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ ******

************Oh, and thanks to those who are contented to just read~ You all make me happy too, even though I don't know who you are.**********  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 15 A Friendly Foe?<p>

So sighed, contented, and pulled the string of her kite tighter, swerving to the left to make the diamond twirl.

She was two days done with the battle against Kenpachi and had one more day of recommended rest from Unohana. While she hadn't been hurt badly enough to warrant a long stay the kindly Captain advised at least three days' rest to let all of her wounds close properly and avoid scaring.

So was very happily taking the little vacation.

She'd spent the bulk of yesterday asleep, waking up only to cook, eat and bathe, and today she was spending some time on the roof, enjoying the breeze and flying her kites.

It was sunny out, but not too hot and she was perfectly comfortable in one of her summer yukatas, the silk light and comfortable, not to mention rather stylish with it's simple solid red color, the sash and trimmings a sunny gold. It was one of her favorites, not only because of its comfort, but also because it fit so well. She did like to feel pretty some times and no time was better than after a fight.

This was her 'me day' her girl day, where she dressed nice, ate all her favorite snacks, and indulged in her hobbies.

She sent the kite into another twirl and smiled big at it, happy to see its pretty dance across the sky. In a moment she'd tether it and have a snack, maybe sing a little, maybe sleep a little, and continue enjoying her day.

Loosing some more of the string so that the kite would fly higher she turned carefully and tied it down, gazing at it longingly as it continued to dance in the breeze. What would it be like to fly? To soar so freely over everything? It must be a beautiful sensation she decided and hoped she could do it someday.

"Fly, fly, in the sky" she sang softly and turned with a cheery smile to her lunch that was… currently being eaten by Zaraki!

"Hey!" she shouted, in her quiet way. "Washa doin'! Thas mine!"

"Don't see yer name on it." He chuckled in reply, taking a bite out of one of _her_ rice balls.

"Zaraki!" she whined, stomping her feet as she waved her fist before her.

"Ye look like Yachiru when ye do that."

"Hmph!" she huffed, her face scrunching up in a frown as he swallowed the last of his snack and dipped his hand into the box for more.

"Oy!" he grunted, surprised by the amount of force she put into the tackle that sent him sprawling onto his back.

She straddled his chest, a rather unladylike action in her dress, and tried to grab at the little triangle in his hand but he stretched away, laughing hardily as he used his free hand to push her back.

"Zaraki!" she whined again "Give!" Why'd he have to go bothering her today? She'd been having such a good time with her new found peace and, and she'd thought that after their time in fourth together they had some sort of understanding. She thought he respected her…

"Here" he chuckled again and shoved the food into her slightly open mouth, watching in amusement as she fell back, sputtering.

He sat up and watched her squirm, fighting to swallow the rice, and when she seemed to be having a little too much trouble he yanked her upright and gave her a few heavy handed smacks on the back.

She swallowed a moment later with an effort and glowered up at his grinning face.

"Was te big idea!" she fussed at him, smacking her small fists against his chest.

"Don't leave yer food around if ye don't want it to get eaten runt" he laughed, leaning back slightly as the barrage of halfhearted punches continued. It seemed she wasn't up for a real fight and after tiring of the action sat back in his lap, arms crossed over her chest, and pouted.

She really did look like Yachiru.

"What?" he didn't like that look on either of them.

She looked away, swinging her hair into her eyes, and gave a little huff. "Ah woulda shared."

He rolled his eyes, though the action went unseen by the brooding woman, and fished around in one of his sleeves, drawing out a white box, about the size of his hand, that was plain but for the pink bunny shape stamped into one corner.

It caught So's eye right away, she was a stickler for cute things, and wondered if it was something of Yachiru's or something from Yachiru. It had to be since the large man wouldn't own anything so cute just for the heck of it. And she wondered what was in it; it certainly wasn't a jewelry box.

Kenpachi flicked the lid off with his thumb and held the box out to her, watching as she gazed quizzically at the three, neat little rows of bunny shaped treats. There were nine of them in all, three to each row, and each was colored differently. There was no real reason for that other than aesthetics he assumed but then he stopped assuming because really, he didn't give a damn.

"'S for you" he said after her gazing began to take a little too long, shoving the box closer to her face. "Yer sposed to eat em, not glare at em."

"M not glaring" she retorted, but with no bite and a little laugh. "Thesa candy?"

"Dumplings. Ye like sweets n shit don't ya?"

"I dun like shit" she said and the joke was so unexpected that he almost missed it. He didn't though and instead laughed so hard she finally took the box from him for fear that he would drop it.

When he calmed himself she looked from the sweets to him and back again, picking one, the blue one, up out of its little cup. It was a very cute little thing, a round dumpling with a flat bottom and a simplistic rabbits face painted on with what she assumed was probably food dye. It looked almost too cute to eat, but she did anyway and her face lit up.

The filling was red bean paste! That was one of her favorites and it wasn't too sweet or too bland. He must've gotten them from a good shop for them to be so tasty, and she had to wonder how much they'd cost and…

"Why'd ya get em fer me?"

He looked down at her, those large eyes of hers settling on his own, and shrugged his massive shoulders.

"Yer always feedin me, figured I'd pay ya back."

She cocked her head to the side.

"I didn't go outa my way or nothin if that's what yer wonderin. They're from one of Chiru's favorite shops and she got me out that way yesterday. Figured ye'd like something. Thas all."

And then she smiled. "Thank ya Zaraki!" she quipped and set the box down so that she could lean up and hug him around the neck.

"Eh?" he froze for a moment before patting her on the back, a little more gently this time, and looked away. He was not used to being hugged by anyone but Yachiru, the tender gesture making him more uncomfortable than it would most people, but he found himself allowing it. "Whatever."

She giggled cheerily and released him, picking the box back up to pop another of the sweets into her mouth. "Isa guess" she said, mouth still somewhat full "ya can 'ave a lil more ah mah lunch then."

"Oh?" he asked.

She nodded.

He grinned "get offa me then and I think I will… Les ye wanna stay there. Guess I could let ya."

She frowned and looked at him confused, his gaze dropped and she looked down and flushed.

She was still sitting on him! Right in his lap! And to make matters worse she was straddling him, the folds of her yukata open in a slightly suggestive manner.

She scrambled off of his lap with something that sounded a little like a yelp and scooted about three feet away.

She wasn't sure why she did, wasn't sure why she'd done any of what she had just done. Usually, if she had found herself in that predicament with another one of her male friends she would have just laughed it off and crawled away, or maybe even flipped and just sat there. She, of course, knew that for proprieties sake that was rather improper but usually she was fine with her friends…

But Zaraki wasn't a friend… Not yet. Or was he?

He treated her like a friend, and like an enemy. He called her runt, but he smiled at her, he ate her food, but he brought her snacks, he let her hit him without hitting back…

Was he here friend?

She looked over at him, rooting through her considerably large lunch basket, and then back at the sweets in her hands.

Friends shared things, friends ate together, friends talked and laughed together… Why didn't they feel like friends though?

"What?"

His gruff voice brought her out of her reverie and she looked at him, confused.

"Why're ye staring at me like that?"

"Ah…" she shook her head and smiled. No reason.

"Weirdo" he said, but there was a chuckle to his voice that seemed rather warm and… friendly.

Were they friends? They were, they weren't, were, weren't, were…

"Nice up here." He brought her back again.

"Mhm" she nodded. "Peaceful."

"We outa come here after out battles" he suggested with a grin, watching for her reaction.

"Hmmm" she hummed. "S'okay. Yousa bring tha snacks sometimes though."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't expect it ta be so nice all the time. I ain't made of money and if I don't spoil Chiru I'm sure as hell not spoilin you."

She giggled "mhm... And" her face lit up in a blush for reasons unknown to her and she quickly covered it with her hair "Ya can come, even if we're not fightin."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yep… Can come 'ide from Chiru 'n yer paperwork, long's ah can play hooky at your place too."

"Yeah, why the fuck not. Come over any time, we'll spar."

He gave her a grin that made her very happy to see. It seemed… softer around the edges, actually happy. She didn't know why she was glad to find such an expression on his face, but she was, she wanted it to keep on.

She did always want her friends to be happy…

Was he a friend?

"Isa be over in two days" she told him with a grin of her own and he laughed.

"I'll be here tomorrow."

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><p><strong>Is the ending as cute to you guys as it is to me? XD I thought it was adorable when I wrote it but that's cause I'm silly. Let me know what you all think, eh? Or not, if you just wanna read I'm good with that too, but I'd really like a review or two more. ^^ Anyway, thanks for reading, hope you enjoy the next chapter~ <strong>


	16. Beating the Heat

**A fun, sort of silly chapter that's still got some character development in it. Since it's summer I thought it'd be appropriate and the next few chapters after this will have a summery undertone. Hope you all enjoy and are having fun in this sunny season... And if you happen to be somewhere where it's winter I hope you're enjoying hot chocolate and fuzzy sweaters~**

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do though those two don't show up in this chapter. XD And these people are awesome:**

****Sushii-Kun, **gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, ********Alix117 and suney******** You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ ******

************Oh, and thanks to those who are contented to just read~ You all make me happy too, even though I don't know who you are.**********  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 16 Beating the Heat<p>

Summer was sliding quickly in, the days hot and long. Under the shade of the trees the temperature was perfect though and the breeze still served to cool. The harsh heat was only unbearable for those without air conditioning and so, throughout the sereite the lamentations of squad eleven could be heard.

They so often damaged their barracks and were in the red that they had had to go without for the last twenty or so years and every year around summer they did nothing but gripe and lay around naked… mostly naked, had to stay decent for Yachiru.

No one hated this time more than Kenpachi though. His usual heavy perspiration was even worse and he could hardly even bring himself to fight under these conditions, too busy trying to keep cool and hydrated.

It was too bad because, for the last two weeks he'd had a pretty nice train of fights running with the runt, she'd even beaten him a few times, but with this heat wave that would end.

Hopefully she'd still come around though, she always brought the best food. And he supposed he could go to her, but she didn't like it when he smashed her shit up and it would take forever to get over there.

"Too fuckin' hot" he muttered under his breath and rolled over onto his side. He was lying out on the deck outside, hoping for a chance breeze and clouds to cover the noontime sun. This was miserable weather.

"Kenny!" And it just got worse.

He rolled out of the way, narrowly missing the little girls attempt to pounce on his face and scowled at her.

"What're ye doin' brat?" he asked gruffly, in no mood for her antics in all this heat.

"I'm bored Ken!" she pouted, jumping up to sit on his chest. "Play with me!"

"Go bug somebody else 'Chiru. 'M tired" he replied, swatting her away gently before relaxing back into his previous position.

She huffed and glared at him for several seconds, waiting for him to turn back and concede to her wants but, when he didn't, she sagged and ran off.

Stupid Kenny! Why didn't he wanna play with her? No one wanted to, not Cue Ball, not Feather Brow, not even Maki Maki, they were all too hot and tired.

She was hot too but it didn't mean she was gonna sit around all day! Stupid boys!

Still fussing she jumped from roof to roof, sweating under the noonday sun.

There had to be somebody, somewhere willing to play with her.

She dropped onto a porch and jumped when someone screamed, though it was a rather quiet scream for a scream.

"Tiny!" she cheered rushing up to hug the startled woman. She hit her with enough force to topple her and both of them went down in a flurry of black and pink all giggling.

"Hajo Chiru" So quipped happily enough once she realized what was going on. "Wha cha doin?"

"Tiny!" Yachiru sprang up, sitting on her chest much like she had done with Kenpachi. "Kenny won't play with me! Neither will Cue Ball or Feather Brow or Maki Maki! Everyone's sleep cause of the heat and it's not fair!" she pouted "Stupid boys, just cause it's hot."

So laughed and rubbed the girls head affectionately as she continued to pout, cocking her own head to the side. "They dun wanna play cause isa hot?"

"Yeah" the pinkett nodded.

"Well…" So sat up, settling the girl in her lap "If we make it sos is not hot theysa play."

"Oooh! Good idea! But how do we make it cool?"

So's smile took on an absolutely wicked quality and she stood, the little girl poised on her hip. "Les go ge Shuhei."

….

Kenpachi stretched, basking in the momentary bliss of a cloud covered sun and a cool icepack on his forehead. Yumichika and Ikkaku had joined him about fifteen minutes ago and had brought the frozen blue squares as a peace offering guaranteeing them a spot on the much cooler deck where their captain rested.

"We gotta get a fuckin ac man" Ikkaku griped, flopping onto his back lazily, yowling when Kenpachi kicked him.

"Stop yer complainin'" he growled, not in the mood. It felt like it had gotten even hotter over the last two hours and that was not supposed to happen, it was supposed to get cooler after noon, right? Right. No one was about to tell him different today, not even mother fuckin nature. It needed to get cold, now.

"He's right you know" Yumichika said. "Your complaining is quite ugly Ikkaku and with the look the heats given you, you really can't stand to get much worse."

"Shut up Yumi!" the bald man snapped back as he contemplated throwing something at his rather annoying friend… Eh, too much effort. It was soooo hoooot.

Yumichika just tutted and fanned himself with the ornate object in his hand, though at this point the little gusts it made were warm and slowly becoming unpleasant. "An electric fan would be nice though" he mused and received a kick for his troubles as well, though this one came from Ikkaku.

"Quiet both of ye" Kenpachi grumbled, turning over with a slight grimace, the polished wood in this new spot burnt his bare skin, even though it was shaded just like the rest of the area. It was irritating and uncomfortable but he'd been through worse and so just soldiered through, trying not to mind the discomfort, the heat, the way his skin stuck to the wood. But god if it wasn't hot! That was the only thing he couldn't disregard, the heat.

"Hotter than hell" he murmured and closed his eyes to try and fall asleep again.

Silence swallowed the area, moments ticked by…

Something felt off.

He rolled back onto his back and looked up just in time for something icy and wet to drop right onto his face.

He spluttered as water filled his mouth and nostrils and sat up, swearing as he armed off the moisture.

"The fuck?" he roared, the noise followed up by a piercing screech from Yumichika as he was doused by a stream of water from somewhere and a cough from Ikkaku as something bright green exploded into water and ice cubes all over his face.

From above three more colored balls rained down and he caught the one coming towards him, popping it in his hand. Unamused he examined the remains of the purple balloon in his hand and then looked up.

"Chiru!" he called in his most patronizing, pissed off voice.

"Nah" the voice spoke up behind him and he whirled only to have a stream of water shot into his face by a giggling So. "Isa me!"

"Why you-" he paused as screams sounded from inside and several drenched men ran out with the pinkett on their tails, Shuhei surprisingly following close behind with a jug and a water gun all his own.

So turned on her heel and shot both Yumichika and Ikkaku again, the prettier one screaming again as his hair was wetted.

Kenpachi seized her by the back of her robe, she was wearing only the white undercover that usually accompanied the shinigami uniform, and pulled her level with his face.

"The fuck are you doing runt?" he demanded and she just laughed some more.

"Chiru said ya was 'ot sos we came ta cool ya down."

When she noticed his expression she continued "weh brought some fer you too."

He dropped her. "What?"

And then she hopped back to the roof and threw down three, rather large, water guns. Their tanks all sloshed with their ammunition and felt cool to the touch as So had used ice water to fill them.

"Ere's balloons too" she called and threw some at them for show, laughing as Kenpachi and Yumichika dodged while Ikkaku tried to catch it and was splashed in the face again.

While she laughed, Kenpachi grabbed the biggest of the guns and pumped it, aiming, and shooting at So. He laughed loud and hard as he squealed and toppled back, the stream hitting her square in the forehead. He'd gotten good with these things because of Yachiru, naturally, and had pretty good aim despite his lack of vision on one side.

He turned to his subordinates, their expressions just a little incredulous, and kicked the remaining super soakers towards them. "Well?" he asked "you were complaining about the heat. Cool off!"

He laughed and turned back to So just in time to catch a balloon to the shoulder and pounced up onto the roof top after her.

He hadn't been expecting this kind of battle but any was welcome, especially if it could keep him cool.

"It's on!" he roared as she took aim again and shot him in the chest while he doused her midriff.

Giggling madly she dashed away and he followed, catching a fleeting glimpse of Ikkaku and Yumichika facing off against Yachiru and Shuhei.

The two of them dashed about, a game of cat and mouse between the many bodies running across the open yard. It seemed they'd supplied the whole of his squad with artillery and it was a free for all. Shouting and laughing filled the air along with the wet _pop_ of balloons and the _swish_ of water rocketing forward towards its targets.

Turning, So shot him again, hand slipping so that she hit his leg instead of his face as she'd planned. As she faltered he shot too, soaking her chest and face. She squealed again and tripped, falling down on her backside as she rubbed water from her eyes, laughing.

"Looks like ah shot ye down" Kenpachi growled, stopping just before her. His gaze fell on her small, prone form just below him and he couldn't help but notice the way the sheer fabric of her robe clung to her wet skin now and the way her hair stuck to her neck and shoulders. She almost looked… He shoved the thoughts away.

She cleared the water from her face and looked up, and up, and up smiling big when her gaze finally reached his face. She'd paused for a few seconds at his chest, all that scared skin stretched taunt over a plane of muscle she knew from experience was not just for show. He looked particularly powerful from that angle, tall above her, the sun behind him making his tanned skin shine. She denied the fact that her breath caught and instead focused on her other feelings. From down here she felt even tinier than usual, but it wasn't too bad with the jolly atmosphere all around. It reminded her a little of when she was little actually, when she'd fall down and someone would come to help her up…

"Ye gonna get up?" he asked and she held out a hand, asking wordlessly for help.

He quirked a nonexistent brow, it wasn't often people made that gesture towards him, mostly because he wasn't usually up for helping people up and also because most didn't want to touch him. He complied though, taking her small hand in his, and hefted her to her feet.

She made a little 'oof' noise as she hit his chest and he dropped a hand onto her back to steady her, unintentionally drawing her closer while she pressed her hands against him to keep herself balanced.

He looked down, quite the uncomfortable feat, and she looked up, also a little uncomfortable, and they stared each other down. She was close again, just like that day weeks ago, and he still found it a little odd but he wasn't as bothered by their proximity as before, almost comfortable with it actually as they'd been getting closer, friendlier with each other as time passed.

She felt quite the same way. Though she was well used to being held and touched by her friends there was something odd about this, but not terrible. He was warm, which was nice in comparison to the chilly ice water, her fingers flexing gently in response to the heat, letting her involuntarily press against the solid muscle below them. And he was sturdy enough for her to lean against while she caught her breath, lying to herself as she denied anything but the chase making her breath catch and her heart race.

Both of them comfortable and uncomfortable he waited to let go of her till she was sure of her footing and shifted away a little.

"Thankies" she quipped at him cheerily, pushing back some of her wet hair so that he could see those ocean blue eyes again. If it hadn't been for the heat he would have wondered why she was blushing.

"Che" he shrugged and then smirked "don't thank me yet." He held up his 'weapon' again. "I still got half a tank."

"Yeep!" she ducked as he shot and grabbed her own gun, bolting again as he chased once more oblivious to the prying eyes that had just seen their moment of closeness.

"Oh my" Yumichika exclaimed, a smirk on his face. "What was that?"

Shuhei shook his head "I duno but… Eh, I've learned not to assume things when it comes to the cap- Hey! Where're you going?"

The two of them off and away, the great water battle continued well into the evening, ending just as the sun began to go down.

Thoroughly exhausted after such a good work out Kenpachi and So lay sprawled out on the deck, soaked and contented. Just a bit away Yachiru was terrorizing the last standing band of shinigami challengers with her very own balloon slingshot and Shuhei had run back to the squad to get them dry clothes.

So huffed and rolled onto her side to regard her rival and… friend? Yes, she supposed he was a friend after this. Had to be. She smiled at him when he took notice and he quirked his brow. "What?"

"Isa gonna get ya tomorrow."

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><p><strong>Fun fact: The Fic is 100 pages long on Microsoft word~ *is proud of herself* <strong>

**I know that in comparison to some other authors that's absolutely nothing but it's the most I've ever gotten on an ongoing fic. XD And I hope you guys'll stick around for the next 100 pages too... though it probably won't be that long. XD A few more sort of fillerish character development chapters and we'll fall into the real plot, yes there is one! XD.  
><strong>

**Thanks for reading by the by, drop a review if you'd like and if not, well thanks for reading!  
><strong>


	17. The Touch of Summer

**Sorry I've been gone everyone. When we go back home from vacation we found out someone had broken into our house and stress from that on top of my first semester of college kinda killed my inspiration but I'm back in action now and have a whole bunch of chapters planned, and several done~ There will be multiple uploads today. **

**This is my attempt at a sort of sweet and inclusive chapter. I'm not sure how I was at flashbacks but I hope I did okay. It's gonna give a little incite into So's life as a small child.**

**There's also a good amount of SoKen interaction that I hope does well at building up their relationship.**

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do. XD And these people are awesome:**

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, and XxFlizanxX. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

* * *

><p>Chapter 17 The Touch of Summer<p>

The room filled with a wash of orange light and So looked up, rubbing at her tired eyes.

To her left a tray labeled 'out' was full with papers stacked at least two feet high. She'd been working since sun up, had had lunch in the office along with a game of poker, and was finishing just as the sun began to leave the sky.

Across the room Shuhei leaned back and she could hear his chair groan and his back pop. He'd been there all day too and his slightly smaller stack of work was also complete. It made her smile knowing how hard he worked for the good of the squad. She hoped she was doing half as good a job and not leaving too much to him.

It had been so long, three or four months now right, but she still had so much to learn and still made plenty of mistakes. She was just glad that he was so forgiving, that the squad was so forgiving, and that they were all willing to work with her and help her along the way.

It was a new sensation, being helped. For the longest time she'd had to figure things out for herself, conquer problems by herself. If she made a mistake she had to fix it on her own, didn't have anyone to ask for help.

Now that she had a whole big support system, headed by one of the nicest men around, she didn't have to worry so much and she only hoped they knew how much she appreciated them….

If only there was a way she could show it.

Leaning on one hand, she closed her eyes to let them rest as she let her thoughts bounce about. Gratitude, joy, love, respect, these were only some of the things she felt for the people around her but she didn't know how to convey it, didn't know how to tell them.

She sighed and opened her eyes again, looking over at Shuhei who just so happened to be gazing at her. He smiled when their eyes met and she returned it, hiding a yawn behind her hand a moment later.

"Tired?" he asked with a slight laugh and she responded with one of her little nods, the kind that said 'a little but I'm fine'.

She stood and stretched, yawning again and he laughed a little harder. "You ought to go get some rest. You've been at this all day… How bout we go grab a bite to eat?"

She beamed at the prospect of food, her lunch had been terribly small by her standards since she'd not wanted to waste time cooking and now she was practically ravenous. She nodded to him, stepping over to his desk when he took too long, in her opinion at least, to get up and grabbed him by the sleeve.

He stumbled and made a rather startled noise as he was dragged around his desk, still surprised by his captain's physical strength. And he continued to be surprised as she kept holding onto him, wrapping her arms around his as they left the office her head leaning against him.

She looked very happy like that and so he couldn't bring himself to point out the rather awkward nature of their position. Instead he wondered if she was this handsy with all her friends once she got to knowing them.

She was, and she was ecstatic that Shuhei hadn't pulled away. While she seemed standoffish and shy, and while she was, once she made a connection with someone she could get rather physical. A life deprived of kind, intimate human contact left her craving it now in her adulthood and she would take it where she could find it.

Hair stealthily hiding her eyes she turned her gaze upward, toward the man she was clinging too, and felt her smile soften. She was so glad to have him, to have one more friend, it was a wonderful thing.

What wasn't wonderful was her distraction, eyes off the floor her foot caught in the leg of her pants and she went stumbling, arms releasing him as she flailed and fell forward onto the ground with a solid thud and slight chime from the bells decorating the ribbons tying her hair in it's neat pony tail. Her hands stung with the force of catching herself, as did her knees, but at least she hadn't hit her head.

Shuhei gasped as she went down, fumbling to try and catch her, a sigh on his lips when she met the ground. He couldn't say he wasn't used to _this,_ she fell almost daily and he was curious as to why she wouldn't just get some pants at the proper length.

She frowned and sat back, taking a moment to gather herself there on the ground.

It relieved Shuhei a bit, she was fine. Shaking his head, a slight smile on his face, he walked around her and held out a hand.

She looked up at it, and then at him, her eyes glazing over.

_"Did little Red fall down?" _

The voice was distant in her mind, a whisper, but still there, and for a moment Shuhei was someone completely different.

It didn't last long though, there and gone as it were, and she snapped herself out of the daze long enough to place her small hand in his.

When he lifted her the sensation was familiar but somehow wrong and she furrowed her brow trying to place why.

"You okay?" Shuhei asked and like that the thought was gone.

She nodded "hungry" and beamed, grabbing his hand to commence dragging him toward the kitchen.

They made it there with no incident and set to work cooking something right away. So was happy to have found a fellow chef in Shuhei, even if his skills weren't quite as practiced as hers. She supposed she could only owe her ability to the people who taught her, and he probably hadn't had the luxury of tutors of that manner.

Whatever. His food was still tasty and she was happy to have someone to cook with who wasn't more interested in playing with the stove fire or afraid to touch the knives.

She threw some vegetables into the pan, pouring a rather liberal amount of soy sauce over them to make a tasty stir-fry, and gave them a good turning with her wooden spoon. The feel of the smooth handle was one she found familiar and comforting.

_"Cooking are you, darling? What are you cooking? Something to share I hope." _And again the whisper came, soft and gentle, a voice she knew well and this time, the ghost of sensation, a gentle hand on her head.

She turned, expecting to see the one who's voice and hands were so gentle and was met with a clear sight of the cupboard and, a little to the right, Shuhei.

She frowned again and turned back to her cooking, all these memories coming unbidden, and only vaguely familiar. Why?

Her mind wandered and she lost sense of all but herself and her cooking, making the shock double when the door slammed harshly against the wall and Ko shouted "Wifeeeeey! Guess what Iiiiii goooot!"

So was very thankful she was still battering the tempura she was making, cold batter on her sleeves was far better than hot oil, though there wasn't too much since she'd done little more than cringe.

She sighed at the mess regardless and turned to face her friend who was holding up two stuffed bags with a rather great amount of joy. Behind her Do stood looking worried and a little frightened.

"Wha?" she asked, trying not to laugh as she spied Shuhei across the room, leaning against the counter with one hand over his heart. He wasn't quite used to Ko's entrances yet.

"Fireworks!" the blond exclaimed happily. "Let's have a party!"

So blinked "ah party?"

"Yeah, we've got snacks and everything!"

So deadpanned "ah dun wanna set up fa a party."

Do stepped forward then, clamping a hand gently over her shorter friend's mouth.

"She doesn't mean an actual party. She just wants us all to spend some time together… How about on that deck you favor? The one off to the side?"

This So considered for a bit, one finger tapping thoughtfully at her cheek. "Ah right. Yousa in, Shuhei?"

The poor man had finally regained his composure and gave a smile. "Sure. Looks like I better make a little more food hu?"

"Yay!" Ko dislodged herself and jumped up and down a few times before turning. "I'll go set up!" she announced and darted off, Do turning quickly after her.

"Makoto! You're going the wrong way!"

So laughed at their antics and dropped the food into the fryer, her gaze shifting to Shuhei as he spoke.

"Rowdy aren't they?"

"Sometimes" she shrugged. "Yousa like fireworks?"

"Yep, do you?"

"Yep!" and the next time she closed her eyes a brilliant flash of color lit up the darkness. Another memory, so vague she didn't even know if it was real.

She sighed and they finished their cooking in another ten minutes. Getting it all on plates took another five, finding enough bowls, plates, and chopsticks another three, another few seconds when So decided on a whim that they should bring extra just in case, and then a cart for it all another eight. They both had to face-palm when they realized it was in the store closet and they had gone running all around the kitchen and dining area for nothing.

Once they were all loaded up though, they made quick work of getting there, pausing only once when Shuhei back tracked for a jug of sake and some cups. He knew So didn't drink but he wasn't too sure about the other girls and, he had a feeling they wouldn't be on their own.

Even if it was just a 'hang out' sort of party, the girls had done the place up to look like a real party was about to go down.

They'd given the usually scattered pillows So used for seating a rather beautiful organization around a low table from only they knew where, the extra ones resting against the walls or at the edge of the porch. Paper lanterns dangled from the overhand, orange, yellow, red, and a few blue, scattered about.

White ones with bright patterns made to emulate fireworks sat on the ground, candles inside washing the patio with soft light.

Shuhei noticed belatedly a second table, much smaller, with the snacks before mentioned by Ko. It was mostly pastries and candies, arranged amongst a tea set, the kettle loosing steam into the warm night air.

At this table sat a very familiar, cheerful, pink headed child, nomming away at a cookie. The large man who claimed ownership of her was also there, and the reason Shuhei had almost missed the sight of the table. From the door way, Kenpachi's bulk obscured the view completely.

They nodded to each other when Kenpachi became aware of him and So smiled, waving.

"When'd ya get 'ere?" she asked quietly, beginning to set food out on the larger, vacant table.

Kenpachi shrugged "when Yachiru saw the lanterns go up."

She smiled again and nodded, waving to Yumichika and Ikkaku who were also present and sitting on the edge of the deck, out of the way while she and Do finished set up.

Twenty minutes later and everyone had eaten, maybe not their fill yet, but they had eaten, and the little party of eight was watching the sun finally dip passed the horizon.

Shuhei and Ikkaku were talking as they did, as were Yumichika and Do. He seemed to very much like the color and texture of her hair. Ko and Yachiru were playing a game of chase across the open yard and So just sat, nice and quiet, beside Kenpachi.

A warm breeze came passed and she smiled, closing her eyes as the wind cooled her warm skin. The scent of summer wafted by and her lips turned up in a smile.

_"Such a nice day, isn't Red? Such a pretty day, and it is turning quickly into a pretty night… A pretty night for my pretty girl" and she can see a woman's smiling face, feel her gentle hands again, holding her up on her hip. She can feel in her hands the fabric of a thin silk yukata, made for the muggy summer, and the smell of green tea and copper. "Let's go outside, pretty girl, let's look at the moon. I think it might have gifted you with a surprise." A kiss on her cheek, she can feel it, though the feeling is fleeting, and her eyes open again, happy. _

She recalls this memory, and is slowly coming to recall all the others…

Oh! But she missed the sunset, lost in her reverie.

Yachiru and Ko cheered at the disappearance of the sun and the emergence of the stars and moon. It's a clear night and they're running for the bags now.

Do shifted a little uncomfortably but smiled when Yumichika expressed his disinterest in lighting fireworks. She'd have someone to sit and watch with, and So knew that would certainly take the edge off her fear.

Ikkaku and Shuhei on the other hand, stood when the girls went get to the stash. She gathered, from the little snippets of their conversation that she could hear, that the boys want to shoot some fireworks too, and also prevent the girls from blowing themselves up.

So doubts that could happen, Ko is a professional pyro, but she's thankful none the less.

And Kenpachi doesn't move. He spared a look in the direction of his little ward but deems the situation safe enough for her at least. At worst, Ikkaku'll get a rocket up the nose… That'd actually be pretty damn funny now that he thought about it.

Everyone around them was active and chatty, the group of four debating -arguing- over which to do first, the pair of two behind them, moving on to fashion, and So wondered for a moment if she should strike up a conversation. Kenpachi wondered the same thing for a fleeting moment.

_"Na"_

They both came to the same inner consensus and stayed wrapped in their little bubble of silence, comfortable with themselves and each other. These were the kind of silences they'd built their relationship on in the last few weeks, long moments of quiet peace that they could both enjoy.

It was a bit funny actually. Once they had thought each other so different but they were coming to realize they were very much the same. Through their silence they'd even started to learn, and quite well, each other's body language.

The moments ticked by, a haze fell over their minds, and then…

_Whoossh~_ **BANG!**

A blossom of blue pierced the night sky and So tilts her head up to watch it sparkle and fade.

_"A fire flower" the voice whispered again, happy and kind. A child's laughter echo's just behind it. "A wonderful gift from the moon, isn't it? Just for you, my darling Red." And then the soft hands are gone and her feet are bare on the grass, running, running fast towards the place where the fire flower bloomed, into the arms of the strong one who set the sky aflame just for her… _

As it disappeared, along with the memory, she leaned back farther, and then farther more till she started tipping. A startled yelp escaped her mouth as gravity pulled her back and she braced for a painful bump to the back of the head.

It didn't come though.

She felt a warm pressure on her lower back and when she opened her eyes, when had she squeezed them shut exactly, she's looking into the vaguely amused face of Kenpachi. His single eye conveying a look something like, 'what was that?' or as he would put it 'what the hell?' and she giggled.

"Ah hate ponytails, th' alwas make meh top 'eavy."

His brow, though there's not actually any hair there to make a proper eye brow, quirked up. "Ponytails make you top heavy? All that damn hair…"

They fell silent again and So wondered if the warmth of his hand shouldn't be triggering anything? … No, this sensation was completely new, this warmth… She let her smile stay and nodded "they're 'eavy" before reaching up to pull the tie loose.

Her hair fell with a soft swish, stray strands picking up on a passing breeze. Kenpachi stared, and he wasn't quite sure why.

"All that damn hair…" he said again, a mutter this time, because now he was talking to himself. He could feel it on his skin, soft. His free hand twitched, wanting to feel it-

_Whoossh~_ **BANG!**

Another of the fireworks went up and he realized how crazy that thought was, realized that he was still holding her tilted back, and that she was still letting herself be held. He righted her posture and watched the red light disappear as he withdrew his hand, now very warm.

She blinked at the sudden change of angle, and watched him, instead of the colors, from the corner of her eye for just a bit. Her back was warm where his hand had been, but the warmth was quickly fading, just like the lights and she missed both…

One after the other the party of four set off the explosives, taking a pause somewhere around the middle to throw firecrackers at each other before Do berated them on fire and firework safety.

They were down to one last big one, the biggest, and taking yet another pause, but for sparklers this time.

Yachiru bounded over to them, dropping one into each of their laps, along with a match that went to Kenpachi.

"Have fun!" she cheered and returned to the side of her playmates for the night.

Kenpachi looked at the items in his laps, frowned, and dropped them into So's lap instead.

"Wha?"

He rolled his shoulders and So understood, in the world of body language that meant 'I don't wanna'

She frowned too, pouting "ya hafta."

He looked at her, the look clearly stated 'no I don't'

"Isa fireworks party" she whined.

His look stayed.

"Zaraki…"

He was a rock

"Kenpachi?"

She'd have to do better than that.

"I'll fight ya if ya do."

"You'll fight me if I don't" he replied, his tone rather matter of fact.

She frowned and looked at the sparklers and match in her lap.

"… Light mine for me?"

"What?"

"Ah can never get 'em ta light… Please?" she looked up at him with big blue eyes, the look one to rival Yachiru's own pout.

He held her gaze, and then sighed. "Can't do anything can ya?" he asked and held his hand out for the match.

She beamed and handed it over, standing up with her one sparkler in hand.

He struck the match and touched the flame to the sparkler's end, watching it come to life.

Her eyes widened at the sight, she smiled wide, and lost herself in the light. Through it she could see Kenpachi's hand, still holding the lit match… That same hand that had been so warm on her back, so surprisingly gentle in catching her.

_"A sparkler just for you." These hands were warm too, as they showed her how to hold one for the first time in her short life. "Don't let the sparks touch."_

But the warmth from Kenpachi was a different one… A stranger one. What would it feel like for him to show her, to hold her hands and make sure she didn't burn herself? And why did she want to know? Why did his touch feel different?

She saw his face through the glow and smiled bright, while an emotion she couldn't quite place came and went in his eye.

She reached down and grabbed his hand, passing the live sparkler to him. He held onto it in reflex and she grabbed the other from its place on the deck.

She touched the end against the sparks and watched it pop to life with an excited laugh while he gave her a completely incredulous look.

"Wha?" she asked that face. "Don't ya like fireworks?"

He sighed. "Yer annoying."

"So are you." Her voice was full of joy, regardless of how quiet.

He let it burn out, watching the light instead of her with all his might, though he wasn't completely sure why, and when it was done set the smoldering stub on the deck to be thrown away before he left.

She let hers do the same and returned to her set beside him just before Ko called out.

"Almost ready! Go sit on the roof!"

So sighed and stood back up, turning to Kenpachi with a slightly sleepy smile. The excitement of only a few moments had passed and she was suddenly very tired.

He stood, far more willing to watch than he was to participate, and launched himself up the short distance to the roof.

The others came along too, all but Yachiru who'd be firing this one off and then joining them, and So followed near to last, feeling sluggish.

She hopped up after them, swearing at her pants as she landed on the leg and went falling back again. Falling off the roof would hurt far more than falling on the floor!

She readied herself to push off, if she flipped she'd land alright, but felt herself stopped as a hand grasped hers tightly.

"Che" Kenpachi grunted and pulled her forward off the edge, and right into his chest. Her free hand rested against the muscles of his chest, absorbing more of that comfortable warmth. His free hand had buried itself in her hair when he'd gone to steady her by the back.

"Ye really can't do anything. Klutz"

Her head against his chest as well she could hear the rumble of his voice, feel the vibrations, and hear his heart beating. It made her want to sink in closer, the soft rhythm soothing to her sleepy mind, the low sound comforting. And he let her, he let her lean there while his hand was busy sliding slowly through all that soft, smoothness. Both of them fell into a trance and then…

_Whoossh~ Whoossh~ Whoossh~_ **BANG!**

They moved apart as the noise startled their minds back into the present. Three arcs of color streaked across the sky, collided, and then broke apart into tens of other arcs.

"Fire flower"

_The only thought on the mind of a three year old So as the stars are joined by an orange and red burst._

_ "Beautiful, isn't little Red?" her mother's voice coos as she lifts the girl into her arms, soft hands pushing away the dark hair that covers her baby's eyes. "Daddy made it just for you." _

_The light fades and her mother rubs their noses together as So reaches for the man beside them. "For my flower." He tells her, hugging her in strong arms, not aware that that is the embrace she will always remember when she wants to feel safe. "Daddy loves you."_

_And she smiles at that, glad to know. She giggles when he kisses her forehead and tickles her sides, then lets her go in the grass to chase fireflies. _

_She rushes through the grass, excited and full of joy, and behind her, her parents hold each other close and watch their little blessing enjoy the last bit of her childhood._

_When she turns, they wave, and she waves back smiling, a firefly passes in front of her eyes…_

And the light of the fireworks fades.

There is pleasant warmth in her hand and when she looks, it is still holding Kenpachi's. And she can still feel the fading sensation of his hand in her hair and on her back. She looks to him and breaths deeply, thinking _'he held me like my father held my mother.'_

She does not notice the watching eyes of Yumichika and Do.

* * *

><p><strong>So, thoughts anyone? I'm really hoping I didn't get Kenpachi out of character but, as you can see he's starting to feel something and that in and of itself is sort of out of character. Oh, and if you thought the whole, facination with her hair thing was weird here's how I'm rationalizing it in my crazy little brain. Kenpachi's never had much, in his life before the soul society I'm pretty sure there was no softness, nothing tender, nothing clean and unspoiled. Not only is So's hair soft and clean, she is as a whole. Out side of battle she's kind of an innocent and I could see that being a draw to Kenpachi, wanting something you don't have you know? It might not make sense to anyone but me but I thought I'd try to explain it a little bit XD.<strong>

**Oh, and with So and the warmth thing, this is her very early life. Shortly after this things changed and human contact became a sort of foreign thing, that's why body heat is such a draw for her. **

**Um, and yeah, that's it. Questions, comments, suggestions send em my way! I'm always willing to get better~**


	18. Welcome to the Club

**Here's chapter 18, introducing a new character! He belongs to my friend and will be getting a sort of cracky harem fic when this one is over~ Besides that he'll also be helping with the actual actiony part of the plot when it comes up in about seven chapters~**

**This chapter is his introduction, and not too much more~ Hope you enjoy!**

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do. Yoru belongs to my friend who does not have a fanfiction XD And these people are awesome:**

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, and XxFlizanxX. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

* * *

><p>Chapter 18 Welcome to the Club<p>

So had been rather surprised the next morning when she found, among her paperwork, a summons to the initiation of a new captain to commence the next day. Yes it had been several months since her own initiation but still, she hadn't thought they'd find another candidate so soon.

She'd spent a good portion of that day sitting with Shuhei and Renji, speculating who might be joining their ranks. Izuru hadn't been around, apparently prepping his squad for the new arrival. The captain would be going to third after all, she hoped he'd have an alright time of adjusting, and Izuru had plenty of paperwork to do regarding the matter.

The boys asked, rather cautiously which she found funny, if she was happy that she would no longer be the newest member of the gotei thirteen.

She'd just giggled and replied with a nod, a definite affirmative. "Isa gots seniority now" she'd quipped excitedly, never minding that her seniority would only span a few months, where as everyone had years, centuries even on her.

They'd laughed at that, and had a good day, but now that day was passed and So found herself standing in place, Shuhei beside her, as they waited for the meeting to start.

Kenpachi and Yachiru came in, just near the end of the pack, only a few minutes before the meeting started, and So waved them over.

Kenpachi gave her an acknowledging nod and walked over, Yachiru jumping down from his shoulder to fall into So's waiting arms and give a hug.

"Hi Tiny!"

"Hajo" So smiled at the pinkett and then looked up to Kenpachi.

He stared down at her "wadaya want, runt?" and she puffed out her cheeks.

"Fer you ta stop callin meh tha."

He gave a wolfish grin "that all?"

She sighed, "no. Isa want ya ta beh nice ta the new person."

"Me, nice?" he tilted his head and looked at her like she'd sprouted a second one "you hit yer head again?"

"Zaraki" she patronized. She was ready to say more but in that moment Yamamoto entered and everyone who was not in place made their way there, the room falling silent.

Izuru stood at the front of the room at Yamamoto's side, his hands shaking visibly.

Shuhei felt for him, having been in that place not so long ago, and hoped his friend would be alright, hoped he'd get a captain who could understand his quiet mannerisms and rather depressed moods.

The tension, or was that excitement, of the room was palpable, the air electric. It was such a vast change from the calm, warm weather outside that it was making So's head buzz. Was this how it had been for her arrival? Had she really gone oblivious to this powerful energy?

"Come forward!" she heard Yamamoto's voice boom in the silent room and straightened her back, peering to the side curiously as the large doors swung open.

He was tall, just a fraction shorter than Kenpachi she was sure, and exuded a cold, but confident aura. His posture was straight, his face set in a neutral expression as he crossed the floor. He was a far cry from the timid So, who had taken the same long walk once before.

She wondered at his tidy shihakusho, sleeveless and perfectly fit, and at his disheveled hair, black but for a white fare up in the front. She didn't think it looked bad, but she wondered fleetingly if he took proper care of it. She hoped so.

Regardless of his hair care practices though, he reached the front of the room and stood before Yamamoto, a young, towering figure with steady, purple eyes, eyes that said he was ready for anything.

"Yoru Kumotta" the captain general began, sliding fluidly, and droningly, into a speech on honor, strength, and responsibility. It was vaguely familiar to all parties present at So's own induction and she deadpanned. Did he seriously recycle this speech for every new captain? Oh Yama-Gen, she tried not to sigh.

And it looked like the young man was trying not to either. Yoru felt his mind fog over, disinterested in the old man's words. He meant no disrespect, but he just wanted his music and his captain's coat. Did this really need so much ceremony to it? Couldn't it just be done and done?

He supposed he'd just have to solider through it though. The reward would be worth it.

He went unaware of the eyes on him all around the room, the minds taking him in and judging him, but Izuru could see their faces and tried not to twitch with his nerves. Hitsuguya looked pleased; Rangiku ecstatic and he supposed that was reasonable. He'd come from their squad after all.

Both Ukitake and Shunsui looked amused, though he wasn't sure why. The two thirds seemed apathetic to the whole thing, Nanao her ever stoic self.

Unohana had that same unreadable expression on her face as always. Isane marveled at the height of the newcomer.

Soi Fon looked as serious as ever, Omeda looked bored.

Kuchiki was just as serious as Soi Fon but Renji sent him a reassuring smile that, though not returned, was very much appreciated.

Komamura was a blank slate as usual, Iba at his side, a loyal companion.

His eyes skirted purposefully over Mayuri, that man terrified him, and his gaze fell suddenly on Kenpachi who was just as terrifying and had a bizarre look of approval on his face. That worried Izuru greatly. The cheery face of captain So, who he'd gotten to know rather well and knew was now on decent terms with Zaraki, eased him slightly though. The smile received from Shuhei and, surprisingly, Yachiru too eased him further.

It softened the flinch caused as the young man began to speak and he let his gaze fall back to his soon to be boss. Swearing himself in as the new captain of the fifth squad and promising to do his best.

Izuru thought his voice was pleasant enough. Then he paused.

Everyone was staring.

Did he just say fifth?

Yamamoto stared and Yoru blinked. "What?"

"I-it's third Captain."

"Right, third" he nodded as if he hadn't said anything wrong. The rest of the room sweat dropped, So almost laughing aloud.

The Captain General nodded and with a final few statements handed over the haiori that was, moments later, hanging from Yoru's shoulders.

He smiled to himself at the feel of the new fabric between his fingers and let his mind drown out the rest of Yamamoto's words. He had what he came for, now it was time to go.

Yamamoto dismissed them all. His name and the name of his lieutenant, was it Kira, Izuru Kira, coming up in his final statement somewhere. Noise erupted around them, the shuffle of feet and cloth and the soft murmur of voices as everyone departed. And a voice much closer…

"C-captain Kumotta?" Izuru asked timidly, taking a short step towards the taller man.

He turned his purple gaze downward to the blond man. "Yeah?"

And Kira almost lost it, such a clipped reply! Had he done something wrong? Already? Resisting the urge to fidget he stood a little straighter and asked "would you like me to show you to our division?" and he was proud of himself for putting the emphasis on the word '_our'_.

"I already know where it is" he explained as Izuru's heart fell again. "I've delivered papers there before."

A long silence came after that, not a particularly comfortable one either, and Yoru reached up to tap slowly on his headphones.

"Is there anything you need me for right away?" he asked finally, a little confused when Izuru looked up at him suddenly with a sort of deer in the headlight look.

"U-um no… Not right away…"

"In that case" Yoru pulled the headphone up over his ears and began to turn. "I'm hungry. See you at the barracks in a few hours I guess." And without another word he went on his merry way, faint music following him.

So, who had waited so she could greet him, blinked as he walked passed, leaving a downhearted Kira in his wake.

She looked from one to the other an then rushed to the blonds side, a frown on her face.

"Wha…?" she questioned quietly, grabbing onto his sleeve with a gentle hand.

"He's uh… going to get something to eat I guess…" the man replied, slumping against the wall behind him.

So beamed at the prospect of food despite the current situation and Shuhei, who'd come up behind her in time to hear what had happened, let his palm come up to his forehead at her expression.

"Why didn't you go with him?" he asked , ignoring his now daydreaming captain.

"I… I don't know" Kira sighed. "It didn't seem like he wanted me around…"

"Che, what a loser" Kenpachi scoffed. He'd only stayed around because yes, it was about lunchtime and he wanted a free meal from So. "Course he won't want ye 'round if ya keep stutterin' like a wimp."

"That's not very nice Captain Zaraki" Renji said, he'd also stayed in hopes of food.

"Again with the nice thing" the larger man growled. "Whole fuckin lot of you's gone mental."

Kira sighed again and So smiled at him while the other men started to argue.

"Isa make ya som'tin ta eat too, s'okay Kira. Lessa go!" she waved, Yachiru jumping down onto her shoulder when the slightest mention of food was made.

"O-oh no. You don't have to go to all that trouble for me" he made a conscious effort to not stutter as he said this, and pushed himself away from the wall.

"Les eat" So said firmly, grabbing his hand to drag him along. He had no say in this damn it! She was hungry and she was going to cook, and he would eat her food and feel better! Then, afterwards, he'd go meet his Captain and they'd be best friends just like her Shuhei.

"Come on boys!" she called over her shoulder when she realized the rest of them weren't following. She broke into flash step once they were.

She took them to the communal kitchen, a place only the captains, lieutenants, and a few lucky seated officers knew about hidden away in the middle of first division. It was more than a kitchen actually, really a lounge made for the higher-ups to relax and meet in. It wasn't frequented too often but when it was full it was full and it could be quite fun, or so So had heard anyway.

Lack of partying aside though, they only had need for the kitchen, very large and professional looking with a nice bar attached to the island where food could be served up quickly and people could watch the chef cook.

So enjoyed it in there and had spent quite a lot of time back in squad one cooking for her friends there. She'd been one such seated officer lucky enough to know about it, though she'd avoided it like wild fire when someone she didn't know came around or a party was going down.

She was happy to be here today, she'd missed it.

Stepping through the door just a bit before everyone else, Kira and Yachiru excluded, she cocked her head curiously to the side at the sight, and sound, that greeted her.

Yoru stood at a stove, swearing as something bubbled over a burnt smell permeating the room.

Yachiru scrunched up her face and jumped down as So started over, Izuru stiffening.

He didn't seem to notice them, his head phones were on so she guess he couldn't hear, and he didn't seem to know what to do.

She turned down the fire, his attention gained after that moment, and took the lid from the pot, smiling at the burnt noodles within.

"Yousa didin add enough water" she told him quietly, noticing that he'd pulled his headphones back around his neck. "N ya put tha water too hot. Is jus about gone now."

"Is that what I did?" Yoru asked with a sigh, rubbing at the back of his head. "I'm not really good at cooking…"

So laughed and nodded, turning to dump to ruined food in the trash while the others came in, taking seats at the bar. Shuhei pushed Izuru the rest of the way inside.

"Isa cook for you…" she looked around at the ingredients spread out. "Ramen?"

"Uh, yeah" Yoru nodded.

She smiled and waved her hand at him in a shooing motion till he went to sit next to Kira and then washed out the pot to start again.

Yoru went to slide his headphones back on but Renji spoke up.

"So, you were in Hitsuguya's squad before this right?"

Yoru paused. "Yeah… You're the sixth squad lieutenant, right?"

Renji nodded "Renji Abarai, nice to meet you." A smile accompanied his words and Izuru was so happy he had social friends.

"Yoru Kumotta… same" and he gave a little, somewhat nervous smile too. He didn't usually talk with unfamiliar people and his eyes bounced around the room to see if anyone else would say something.

"I'm Shuhei Hisagi" the slightly less tattooed man spoke up. "Lieutenant of the ninth."

"And I'm Yachiru Kusajishi!" the small girl interrupted. "Lieutenant of the eleventh squad! Kenny over there is the Captain!" she beamed. "And Tiny is the Captain of the ninth. She's only been captain for a little while though so you're both kinda newbies!"

So laughed at that and shook her head "Isa So, kay."

Kenpachi rolled his eyes "It's Zaraki to you, kid."

Yoru cracked a slightly bigger smile. In large doses he was sure the little pinkett could be infuriating but she was kinda cute right now. He nodded "nice to meet you all" but then he noticed not everyone had given or received an introduction.

"You're Izuru right?" he asked the blond man "my lieutenant?"

"Um… Yes" he said, surprised to be addressed directly. "Kira Izuru"

"I hope we can work well together" Yoru told him, a tad awkwardly.

"I ah, hope for the same thing Captain" Izuru said with a slight smile.

"Be nice to Frowny, okay Cloudy" Yachiru said, jumping over to Yoru's lap.

"What?" he asked, not completely sure what she was talking about.

"Be nice to Frowny! He always looks sad, so you have to be extra nice to him" she exclaimed, pointing to Kira.

"O-kay" he nodded, still unsure.

"Chiru nicknames e'ryone" So informed the lost man and his face finally took on a look of comprehension. Frowny must be Kira's nickname. He could see why… wait, was he-

"Cloudy is your name, right?"

"I guess it is" he conceded, that definitely was the meaning of his last name.

"Then I'm gonna call you Cloudy!"

And he just smiled, accepting it.

Silence fell for a little while after that, not completely uncomfortable to Izuru's surprise and joy, and they all watched So cook.

At some point Yachiru deemed it too quiet and launched them into a tale about the hollow Kenny had killed a few days ago, something she'd been meaning to tell So about and had forgotten to.

Kenpachi corrected her when he felt he needed too, usually just to up his own badassery a level, and So humored the small girl with nods and noised well correspondent to the expected reactions.

When she was just about done Izuru bravely asked if Yoru knew how to cook anything and the man had responded with a flat "no" asking a moment later if he could.

"A few things here and there" he smiled nervously. "Enough to keep myself fed I guess, but nothing as good as Ms. Iga- er So's food" he amended when she gave him that look from under her bangs.

Another silence fell and Shuhei felt his heart go out to his friend once more, theirs would be a relationship only slightly less awkward than his and So's… hopefully… He hoped Yoru never had reason to hug Kira while naked anyway. If that moment came up he just… he just didn't know.

Snapping out of his bizarre reverie, Hisagi was rather pleased to see a bowl of ramen set before him, So dispensing them down the line with a big grin on her face.

She grabbed her own bowl and went to sit in the chair left vacant between Shuhei and Kenpachi, chopsticks in hand as they all chimed "itadakimasu".

They all dug in, all of them but Yoru who paused to look into his bowl, a smile stretching across his face as he chuckled.

Curious, Izuru looked over, blinking at what he saw before he laughed too, quickly bringing everyone over, everyone but a still grinning So.

Written in his soup, with vegetables and fishcakes, were the words "welcome to the club."

"This is a warmer welcome than I'd expected." He smiled

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><p><strong>So what do you think of Yoru? And my writing? It could use some work I think, I might be redoing this chapter later but for now, got questions, comments or suggestions send em my way~ All feed back is appreciated! <strong>


	19. The Kids are Alright

**This chapter is a lot shorter than usual, only three pages, and I'm using it to show some very basic battle ability and character compatibility/tension. It also throws in some very blatant foreshadowing XD This chapter will probably get an edit at some point in the near future. **

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do. Yoru belongs to my buddy. XD And these people are awesome:**

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, and XxFlizanxX. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

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><p>Chapter 19 The Kids are Alright<p>

Zaraki wasn't sure how he felt about Yoru. He hadn't seen him fight and just like with So his invitation for battle had been rejected.

Sadly he didn't think pulling a hair pin would work for this punk, seeing as how he didn't wear any, but he needed to gauge his ability. He was spending way too much time around his runt to be a weakling… Wait, his runt? He did not just think that, and he would deny for forever thinking it.

Weird thoughts aside though, he wanted to know if the new guy could handle himself in a fight. Kenpachi couldn't be hanging around a pansy after all, and with all the time he spent with her, he'd been spending it with Yoru too. Sure, it had only been a week but it felt like for-fucking-ever and he was getting frustrated. Since when was she so welcoming? Why the hell had she taken to this guy so easily?

It was probably because they were both quiet and creepy as hell. Maybe if he stopped talking she'd drop the new guy and go back to normal… He didn't talk a whole lot to begin with though.

"Whatcha thinkin bout Kenny?" Yachiru inquired from her perch on his shoulder.

"Nothin kid. Now where'd ye say the runt was?"

"That way Kenny!" she chirped excitedly.

"But we just came from that way! Yer lost aren't ya?"

"What?! You don't believe me Kenny? Fine! I'll just stop giving you directions then."

He sighed and turned in the indicated direction, eliciting a cheer from the small girl. This was why they never got anywhere.

In a completely different area of the seiretei, much nearer to third than Kenpachi had been all day, So walked with Yoru, Kira, and Shuhei. The four of them were having a "paperwork party" as So had put it that morning, and were going back to work after a quick lunch over at fourth with Do and Ko. So had wanted to introduce Yoru to her friends.

They walked at a leisurely pace, the two more talkative of the group, the lieutenants, chatting while the quieter Captains simply enjoyed the nice weather and listened.

So paused in her walk suddenly, something felt off…

Seconds later the air became heavy, harder to breath, and seemingly out of nowhere a menos grande rose up, it's ugly visage piercing the sky.

Somewhere closer to where the thing was screams could be heard and before Shuhei or Kira could blink their Captains were gone.

So crossed rooftops to get there faster, Yoru steps ahead for his longer legs.

The came to a sliding halt as the scene came into view. Not only was there a menos, two smaller hollows were also there, terrorizing a group of souls garbed in the uniform of the soul academy. Was today the visit day? She could've sworn it was tomorrow but maybe not… Wait, was it Tuesday or Wednesday? Wait, why was she thinking about this, there were far more pressing matters at hand!

The hollows were working as a team, one blocking the way while the other attacked.

From both ends they had several students down and both had claws raised to attack. As Shuhei and Izuru arrived Yoru and So acted, jumping down into the fray.

So, unarmed at the moment, caught the creature with her hand. The pain of its blade like appendage sinking in hardly registered and she was able to hold on as it struck down. She slid a few yards as it moved, right up into the personal space of the students who looked up at her in awe, and then tightened her hold, lifting and tossing right over her shoulder.

Yoru, armed with his zanpakuto, deflected the blow, the creature's strength pushing him back as well. With a flurry of dust and wind, his captains cloak waving harshly, he pushed up and back, slinging his target as well.

They crashed together midair and at the same time So and Yoru launched themselves forward, swords raised, So's had materialized from somewhere.

They cut cleanly all the way through the hollows, meeting in the middle with a brief clang of steel on steel as they caught each other.

So shot him a big smile and pointed up at the menos as they landed on either side of the group.

Yoru nodded, a fire in his eyes, and So grinned. She liked that look.

They took off, two blurs of black and white charging the large menace that had gathered a crowd of lower division shinigami, trying their darndest to put a dent in the thing and failing miserably.

It looked like it was starting to charge up a cero and the two of them doubled their speed, running up it's body to get to the mask.

As it opened its gargantuan mouth the other Captains arrived, Kenpachi included, and So and Yoru reached the top. Their swords touched down on the creatures flesh just below the bone of its mask and then, from there it was easy.

She was surprised at how easily the mask gave way, how easily she and Yoru were able to arc through it and destroy the thing in its entirety.

The shriek it let out was chilling to most bystanders but the warriors didn't flinch as they came back to the ground.

Soi Fon, as leader of the special ops, was the one who came and questioned them promising to relay the message to the head captain. Iba made surprisingly good work of dispersing the gathered crowd and soon the area was cleared of all but the original four… and an additional two leering down at them from the roof tops.

"Ye didn't leave any for me runt?" Kenpachi called from above.

So snapped her head up, glaring at him "get ta tha party on time n ya can fight all ya want" she retorted.

He laughed and jumped down, Yachiru going to hug the small woman.

"Whatever" he shrugged. "It was worth it to make sure this punk could fight" and his gaze fell pointedly on Yoru who frowned at him. "Eh, wipe that look off yer face… Yer alright… We still gotta fight though."

Yoru and So both rolled their eyes.

"He do this often?" the young man asked.

"Constantly" she replied "buh he's a'right too."

They laughed and it was Kenpachi's turn to roll his eyes, their mirth hiding the shifting of figures in the shadows, and the disappearance of the remains of one hollow.

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><p><strong>So, does this need an edit? I think it might. I'm not great at action. Anyway though, questions, comments, suggestions, I'm open to them all~ And now off to upload the next new chapter!<strong>


	20. Vacations, Tickling, and Naps

**So I started writing this at two am this morning while hyped up on sugar. XD It's a little cracktastic but hopefully you all will be okay with that. This is the intro chapter to the next four chapters that will be a sort of homage to the end of summer and therefore will be fun! There will be lots of character/relationship development and, who knows, maybe So and Ken will get something started... Or not! You'll just have to read and see~ **

**But yes, please excuse the rampant crack, and enjoy the ending if you are so inclined! **

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do. Yoru still belongs to my friend. XD And these people are awesome:**

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, and XxFlizanxX. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

* * *

><p>Chapter 20 Vacations, Tickling, and Naps<p>

Another day another paperwork party, this time with the addition of Kenpachi and Yachiru, though they weren't actually doing their paperwork, and Do and Ko who'd only had a little and were now done and futzing about.

Since the group had grown so large they were working on the back deck of squad nine. It was surprisingly cool out there, if only because of the fan they had blowing and the ice cream Do had been nice enough to bring for everyone, and the atmosphere had become quite relaxed.

Yoru was taking a break from his work, the fifth break in about two hours, and lounging back on some of So's ever present pillows, gazing blankly at the sky. His headphones were on, letting the rest of them know he was submerged in his music and they for the most part left him alone.

Kira was taking a break too, this one only his second, and indulging in some of the sweets So had made or bought. He was feeling a bit drowsy in the comfortable weather and had his head pillowed in his free hand, trying not to doze off.

Kenpachi was completely asleep, or at least appeared to be, stretched out on the wood near to So. The scant amount of paperwork he'd brought with him was untouched and threatening to blow away in the breeze. He didn't care in the slightest.

Yachiru was engaged in a game of tag with Ko, both of them running wildly about in the grass sans shoes and giggling wildly. It seemed Ko was it and as she went to try and tag Chiru for the umpteenth time the child dodged and she fell to the ground with a thud and a breathy laugh.

Do was also on the lawn, observing with a smile as she hung up the sheets So kept in a spare room and the extra futon, ready to clean them. Might as well be productive right? Right.

Shuhei was actually working, though slowly as he kept pausing to snack and was right now working with his brush in one hand and a rice ball in the other. He wasn't particularly sleepy, but this was nice and he was relaxed. The mostly silent atmosphere between them all was comfortable, odd given who all were here.

Especially So, who had once been the queen of awkward silences, and still was sometimes. She was drifting off to sleep right now. Pen set down, head bowed, eyes closed. Shuhei couldn't help but smile at her, and had to hold in his laughter when a breeze blew by and tipped her sideways, right onto Kenpachi's chest.

The man gave a startled jolt and sat up, rolling So into his lap. She snorted and woke up too, staring up at the large man with confusion. He returned the look, shrugged, then fell back into his previous position. She giggled and stayed put, never minding the wind that picked up to scatter her abandoned paperwork across the table.

One stray paper flew directly into the face of a very surprised Yoru who flailed for a second before ripping the offending thing away.

"A-are you alright Captain?" Izuru asked as he helped Shuhei frantically gather the scattered papers.

"Yeah" he nodded slowly, using his free hand to remove his headphones. "What's this Captain's retreat thing?"

"The retreat?" Shuhei asked, looking up suddenly. He took the paper from Yoru and blinked. "Oh yeah, it was our turn to pick hu?"

"Better pick somewhere good runt" Kenpachi said lowly, gaining him a confused look from the small woman. "What? No one told you?"

She shook her head, sitting up again.

"Ah, sorry So. Guess I dropped the ball there" Shuhei sighed. "At the end of every summer all the captains and lieutenants go on a three day trip, to unwind ya know… Looks like this year Captain General is letting us bring along a seated officer as a guest. That's pretty cool of him."

So nodded with a little smile that quickly dissolved into a thoughtful look. "Buh… isn tha a lil dangerous?" she asked, words slurred by her sleep addled brain. "'avin all the commanders gone n all?"

"The seated officers left in charge check in through soul pager reports at the end of every day" Izuru informed. "Nothing's happened in all the years we've done it."

"Hm…" So nodded, accepting this explanation and then turned her gaze to Kenpachi below her. "Where'd ya go last year? Who picked?"

"It was Kyoraku last year. Had a fuckin blast in a place called Vegas" he grinned at the memory while Shuhei and Izuru blushed bright red.

So and Yoru shared a confused glance and then shrugged.

"So I get ta pick?" she asked.

"Yea, got any idea where you want to go?" Shuhei asked.

So frowned. "Not really…"

By now the attention of the previously occupied girls had been gained. Yachiru sat herself upon Kenpachi's stomach while Ko sat beside her 'wifey' and Do stood above them.

"Oh!" the busty woman exclaimed, rushing over to a bag she'd brought along. "I just remembered I have something to give you. Maybe it will help!"

After a few seconds of rummaging about she came back with a pamphlet in hand. "I grabbed one on my last mission to the world of the living. I thought that maybe we could all visit there some day…"

So blinked at it, took it from her hands and read in silence. Moments ticked by and the expression on her face grew more and more elated. "I wanna go!" she finally shouted and Do laughed, everyone else looking rather lost.

So dropped the pamphlet on the table for the rest of them to see. Shuhei deadpanned.

"An onsen? Really?"

So pouted at him "wha's wrong wit a onsen?"

"Ye wanna go take a fuckin bath for three days?" Kenpachi asked, just as incredulous.

"There's other stuff ta do! Look it see!" she pointed at the paper "there's amusement parks n stores n restaurants n bars n lots n lotsa stuff ta do! An ya like baths Zaraki" she pouted.

He rolled his eyes but consented to the point.

"It says they're having a summers end festival the last day that we'll be there… I think it could be fun" Yoru smiled.

"See" So said "Yoru's on ma side!" She lunged over the table to hug him and he gave a slightly nervous laugh. Was she always this grabby? And why the in the seven hells was Kenpachi glaring at him like that?!

She let go of him, patting him gently on the head and plopped back down in her previous position, grinning from ear to ear. It was gonna be so much fun! Oh, but what about…

So looked at Do and Ko, she could only take one of them along. Her face fell and Do smiled.

"I suppose I could ask Unohana if she wouldn't mind taking me" the brunet said. "Don't worry. Take Ko along, I think it'd be harder to convince her captain to take her."

"Yeah… hey! Whadaya mean by that!" Ko pouted.

Do laughed "I'm just saying Unohana is a little on the kinder side."

Ko frowned "the Cap is perfectly nice. You just don't know him."

Do shook her head "whatever you say darling"

"Hmmm" Ko kept her face in a pout and then jumped up, tackling the busty woman to the ground.

"Ah! Ko! Stop it! Makoto!" Do whined while So dodged out of the way, crawling up into Kenpachi's lap to avoid their tussle.

"Yeah! Go Freckles!" Yachiru cheered for Ko.

"Come tickle her! I'll hold her down!" called the blond while Do's screams dissolved into forced laughter from the sudden tickle torture.

"S-Sto-ahah-op! S-stop it! H-ahahaha- help!" she cried between laughs and gasps for air.

So jumped into the fray picking up the pinket to tickle her mercilessly as well. Do flipped a distracted Ko and began to tickle her too, the girls now a mass of giggling bodies that the men watched with good humored if not somewhat incredulous looks on their faces.

Ko kicked up and launched Do backwards across the table. Yoru and Izuru scrambled to get out of the way but still ended up topped over by the buxom lass, Yoru with his face pressed between her rather generous breasts.

She flushed and sat up atop him, apologizing profusely before Ko jumped behind her and started the tickling again. Do tipped forward and poor Yoru was smothered again, Izuru sitting just at the edge with Shuhei, practically hyperventilating.

Yachiru wiggled free from So's clutches and dove behind Kenpachi, seeking safety with her surrogate father. So wasn't having any of that though and went for the girl, instead barraling right into Kenpachi's chest. He fell back with a 'oof' and Yachiru went scrambling from under him across the grass.

He grabbed her tight by the waist when she went to chase and she looked down at him curiously. He gave a wicked grin and gran his fingers lightly up her sides making her giggle and squirm.

"Go Kenny!" Yachiru shouted, seeing his sneak attack in action, So twisting in his grip as she laughed.

Shuhei and Izuru backed up slowly against the wall, watching this all happen.

"Well, that escalated quickly" Shuhei muttered to his friend, eyes wide at the tickle fest going down.

"Y-yeah" Izuru stuttered, worried for his captains wellbeing. "Should we help?"

"I think we might lose a hand"

"But the Captain…"

Shuhei sighed, "alright, let's try."

Slowly, very slowly, they crept over, grabbing onto Yoru's shoulders. They began to tug and were amazed to find him thoroughly trapped under Madoka's bosom, and out cold. With a huff they hunkered down and began to tug harder, the girls atop the passed out man not seeming to notice.

Across the table Yachiru had joined Kenpachi in tickling So, leaving the small woman a giggling mess trying to drag herself away from the strong but gentle hands grasping her tiny waist and the tiny soft hands hitting all her tickle spots.

The sounds of forced laughter and physical exertion filled the area and greeted the ears of one Genryusai Yamamoto who had come to check on So and see if she had been made aware of her duty to pick the vacation destination.

As he stepped through the sliding door his eyes widened under his prominent brow, taking in the sight before him. He wasn't completely sure what to make of it, in all his years as a shinigami he had never seen anything like this. Never.

He cleared his throat and the tickling stopped, Izuru and Shuhei yelping as they pulled Yoru free a little too quickly and fell back in a heap.

Madoka, exhausted from the tickling fell face first into the deck and groaned, breathing unevenly.

So collapsed onto Kenpachi's chest, trying to stifle her giggles.

"Hi grandpa!" Yachiru called, running up to him with expectant eyes.

"Hello lieutenant Kusajishi" he replied, still a little thunderstruck as he dropped two pieces of candy into her outstretched hand. "Captain Igami?"

She sat up slowly, face flushed, hands planted firmly on Kenpachi's chest for support, and looked back at him. "Hi Yama-Gen" she smiled. "Wasit?"

"I…" wait, why was he here? Curse old age! Oh, wait… right! "I was here to see if you were aware of your responsibility in picking the retreat."

"Ah, yeah! The' told me" she smiled. "Wesa goin to a onsen kay?"

"An onsen?" Yamamoto enquired and So pointed to the pamphlet still sitting on the table amongst the flurry of papers and overturned snacks.

He read through it and nodded. "I believe this will be acceptable. I will have someone find a ryokan to accommodate us all."

"Pick a big one!" So requested. "Isa wanna go to the theme park, tha big 'ns er closer ta the theme park!"

"Certainly" Yamamoto nodded again, giving the girl a little smile. "I'll go take care of that now and leave you all to your business… Perhaps you should take Captain Kumotta to fourth squad, or care for him here Ms. Moru."

And with that he left, Do flushing bright as she went to the side of the slowly recovering man.

"I'm soooo sorry" she said patting his hand gently. "Maybe we should take him to my Captain, just in case."

"Yeah, he was down there for a while. Longest I've ever seen anyone go!" Ko laughed.

Do smacked her upside the head and stood, helping the two lieutenants heft the incapacitated captain to his feet.

"You're coming with us Makoto, this is mostly your fault anyway" she said.

"Ooh! Can I come too? The braidy lady always has the best candy!"

"Yeah, come on Chiru, you can protect me from mean ol' Do" Ko grinned.

And so the five of them left, So watching them with her cheeks puffed out as they totally ignored asking her along.

"Fine" she huffed and turned back to look down at Kenpachi. His hands were still on her sides, heavy and warm, and oddly comforting and she felt the blush rise in her face at their position. Why did she always blush when they were like this? If it were Shuhei she'd be completely fine but he… he made her stomach turn in knots.

She frowned and he frowned back. "Sup with yer face?" he asked and she smacked his chest.

"Nothin' sup wit yours?"

He shook his head and ran his hands up and down her sides again, making her sit ramrod straight at the sensation. "Yer a weird woman, ye know that?"

She nodded, of course she knew she was weird. She yawned "'m also sleepy."

"Sleep then, it ain't fuckin brain surgery."

She puffed out her cheeks again, annoyed at him, but reached up to pull her hair free from its pigtails, the thick strands falling heavy around her and him and onto the deck with a 'fwoomp'.

He reached up without a word, his hand resting on her cheek before pushing back into her hair.

She flinched at the touch but didn't otherwise pull away and when he pressed gently at the back of her head she followed the motion and lay down with her head on his chest.

The hand still on her waist slid around to her back and her arms came up to rest on either side of his head. She sighed, relaxing as he continued to stroke through her hair, hoping he knew just how much trust she was putting in him, hoping he wouldn't betray it.

Silence fell around them and she felt herself drifting farther and farther, his heart beat and breath soothing, his hands a comfort. Slowly she fell to sleep, wondering just how he was feeling.

As he fell asleep he wondered the same thing. How did he feel?

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><p><strong>Was that out of character? I think it might've been but at the same time I duno. I think Kenpachi is a very physical person, hence the touching, but also a deep thinker which is why he didn't say anything. And I think his tickling her might be reasonable too, I mean, he's got a little girl and I'm sure they've played the tickle game before. If it was too crack tastic though maybe I'll do an edit. Questions, comments, suggestions, let me know! I always love feedback~<strong>


	21. Obviously Maybe

**The title will make no sense until you get to the end! XD I duno if this chapter is cheesy or not but I had fun writing it. Um, it's not beta'd so there's probably mistakes. I'd be happy if you'd let me know about them~**

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do. Yoru still belongs to my friend even if he isn't in this chapter. XD And these people are awesome:**

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, and XxFlizanxX. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

* * *

><p>Chapter 21 Obviously Maybe<p>

"Whadaya take ta tha world of tha livin anyway?" So asked, swinging her legs from side to side over the edge of her bed.

"Um well" Do began, holding up two blouses before picking one and folding it neatly into her bag "nothing really for you two."

"Really?"

"Mhm, I'm only packing because I have so many clothes from there, my hobby remember" she smiled "but you and Ko will be given some clothes by Mr. Urahara and a yukata at the ryokan… I suppose you could take a few of your yukata if you'd like."

So nodded, jumping from the bed to search her closet for a few acceptable outfits while Ko flopped back into the sea of pillows her wifey slept in.

"I'll wait for the free clothes, thanks" she said. "I need some new ones anyway."

Do laughed, rolling her eyes and stood to follow So, peeking over her shoulder as she tried to pick clothes.

"Why not the red one?" she inquired and So touched the fabric, looking up at her.

"You always look good in that one" Do assured her, biting her lip softly "and I think Zaraki would probably like it." Operation was a go!

So furrowed her brow and looked up at her friend again. "Wa's he gotta do wit anything?"

"Well…" she worried her lip again "you like him don't you? Don't you want to look nice for him?" God this was harder than she'd thought it would be…

"Well, sure ah like 'im, buh wha shoul ah dress up fer 'im?" So asked, completely confused by her friends logic.

Do face palmed, heaving a sigh. How was she going to explain this? Oh goodness, she hoped Yumichika was making better work of it on his front. Kenpachi couldn't be this oblivious could he?

"Captain" Yumichika inquired stepping into the man's seldom used office. Since Kenpachi had come back from the meeting that morning pertaining to the trip they'd be taking they all, that is himself, Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Ikkaku, had been holed up inside convincing Yachiru that no, she did not need to bring all those toys and no the hat man would not want to see her new pranks

There was a lull in that activity though, the girl drawing quietly on the floor, and Kenpachi gave him a look in response.

"Why don't you pack a nice yukata Captain" the rather effeminate man suggested.

"What for? That weirdo's gonna give us shit ta wear."

"How about the nice blue one I got you last Christmas?"

"Why?" Kenpachi growled, seeing no point in bringing clothes if ones more suited to the place they were going to would be provided.

"I just thought you'd want to look nice is all. For Ms. Igami. I'm sure she'd like to see you in something new."

"The hell are you talking about?" Kenpachi snapped, when did she get into this conversation.

"No need to be so snappy Captain. It's not attractive. I'm simply saying that if one wishes to gain the favor of a lady they should look presentable, and maybe switch up their style every now and again."

Kenpachi was even more confused. Since when was he trying to 'gain the favor of a lady'? What lady? He looked away, back out the window, a signal that he was done with the conversation and heard Yumichika huff.

How could his Captain be so thick headed?!

Do tapped her foot against the floor, thinking of a way to explain current circumstances to So. She'd always know how socially oblivious her friend was but she hadn't had a real grasp on it till now. How did you go about explaining some ones feelings to them?

"She means, like, romantically!" Ko piped up from the bed, her face scrunched up in a disapproving look.

So's face quickly mimicked her own. "Like 'im in ah romantic way?" she inquired and Do nodded slowly.

"Y-yes, don't you?"

"No!" So exclaimed but then paused "least…. Ah dun think so… Do I?"

"You don't know?" Do asked, a little incredulous. How did one not know their own feelings.

So shook her head. "How would I?"

Do frowned again. Good question. "Well… How does he make you feel?" she started. "You usually seem happy around him, usually. You two have great chemistry when you're not trying to kill each other."

"Even then!" Ko added, noting how happy So always looked when they fought.

"Chemistry?" So asked, completely lost.

"You just… you seem to be a good match. Don't you think?"

So frowned, a blush spreading over her cheeks "I-I don't think so… I dunno…"

Yumichika sat with a fan in hand, keeping himself cool as he tried to figure a way to continue the previous conversation. There was very obviously a connection between his Captain and the little miss but the brute just didn't see it and neither did the doll. He wondered if his partner in crime, Madoka, was having such a hard time of this. How could someone be so thick!

Tutting softly he thought and thought. How did he approach this matter with tact and grace?

"Hey Kenny? Do you like Tiny?" Yachiru piped up from her place on the floor.

Well, there's a direct approach.

The large man regarded the child with a bored look "like her fine. Why? Ya mad at her or somethin?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Do you think she's pretty?"

Yumichika should have recruited her for this earlier.

"What?" now his kid wasn't making any damn sense either. "I guess she ain't terrible to look at."

Yachiru giggled and he gave her a thoroughly questioning look.

"Do you love her?" the little girl asked.

Yumichika blanched, nearly falling from his seat in the windowsill. **_That_** might've been a little too direct.

He stared at her for a moment and then turned away "course not."

That seemed to upset her "Why not! She's nice isn't she?"

"The hell is with all the weird questions?" He found himself trying his hardest not to shout.

Yachiru pouted and Yumichika said "you two just… fit is all"

"And you two have gone completely mental if ye think I go the hot's for that runt."

Yachiru pouted and Yumichika raised a graceful brow. "Is that really how you feel Captain?"

"Damn straight, now shut up" he barked.

Of course he didn't love her.

Of course she didn't love him.

They would never be in love.

Obviously….

Maybe…

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><p><strong>Setting the stage for stuff to happen! And I'm on a writing roll so, who knows, the next chapter may go up before I go to bed XD Keep a look out! It's gonna be awkward~ Questions, comments, suggestions, send em my way! Always happy to listen!<strong>


	22. Avoidance Elegy

**An Elegy is a poem or song so this chapter is Avoidance Song, or, if you're in my head where every title is longer, Song of Avoidance. XD Anyway, some of you might not like So in this chapter, at least for part of it. That's okay. The girl is a brat and I wanted to showcase that a little. Honestly I don't think I was harsh enough with her but people tend to baby their characters don't they? XD But yeah, more on stuff at the bottom!**

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do. Yoru still belongs to my friend even if he isn't in this chapter. XD And these people are awesome:**

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, XxFlizanxX, , XxDarkAngel1127xX, Chocoholics Unite, Koinu-sama, RyokoSon, and CrimsonLaurana. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

**Also thanks to those of you who just read, you're wonderful too!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 22 Avoidance Elegy<p>

So was frustrated. Not enough for it to affect her too terribly, but enough for her to be slightly aggressive with the brushing of her hair, which worried her friends.

An already dressed Do stood just behind her, looking concerned, while a mostly naked Ko wandered about their shared room distractedly looking for clothes and the source of her wifeys annoyance at the same time.

"A-are you alright So?" Do finally asked as the girl set, read slammed, the brush down to grab a ribbon for her hair.

"Fine" was the clipped answer and the dark woman sighed before turning away. Pressing the matter would only make it worse, but she really wanted to know what was wrong.

Zaraki was annoying, was all that was wrong really, but it was enough to tick So off. Why was he acting so strangely!

It had started yesterday, on their way to the world of the living. As they all stood waiting for the portal to open she'd gone over to him, wanting to see if he'd like to hang out the following day, today. All he'd done was grunt a distracted, noncommittal reply and refuse to make eye contact.

She'd tried to ask three more times as they visited Urahara's shop, drove to the ryokan, and checked in. After that she'd given up and stomped up to her room for dinner.

Why didn't he wanna hang out?! And why did that bug her so much?

Rather aggressively she finished tying her hair up, it was in pigtails again since she couldn't be bothered to do something more elaborate, and stepped away from the bathroom mirror.

In the bedroom of their suite her dress lay out on her futon and she stepped into it, smoothing out the A-line bodice of the otherwise ruffled dress.

She regarded herself in the mirror, wondering if the pale pink complimented or bleached her skin, and turned the bow adored straps to face the right way. Of all the clothes Urahara had had available she found herself most enamored with the baby doll Lolita style. Something about the soft colors, ruffles, and bows tugged at her deeper female instincts and she now found herself with a closet full of cute clothing.

It was far more than she'd be wearing during this trip but she figured the shopkeep would let her keep them. If not, well, money talked and bull shit walked, wasn't that the phrase she'd heard somewhere?

Such odd sayings in this world.

Giving herself another once over she nodded approvingly, a little amazed that the curve of her bust, small as it was, could be seen under the ruffles and lace. It was new, and something she liked.

She dropped back down onto the futon with a slight huff, missing her pillows back home, and pulled on a pair of white knee high socks then slipped on her shoes. They were the same shade of pale pink as her dress and adorned with what she considered to be absolutely darling bows.

It took her a moment to figure out the buckles again but, as she stood and saw herself one more time she felt her mood significantly raised.

So what if Zaraki didn't want to hang out. She'd just hang out with someone else! She looked good and she was going to have fun. Forget about him.

Who to play with though?

Do maybe? … No, she was going somewhere with Renji.

Ko? No… She was taking Akon to ride all the rollercoasters…

Shuhei… Shuhei wasn't doing anything! At least, she didn't think so… It wouldn't be anything too terribly important if he did have other plans. They'd spend the day together for sure!

Practically beaming at herself in the mirror, Do watched her with mild concern while Ko tugged on a shirt behind her and frowned.

"I hate it when she gets that look. Always means trouble for somebody" the blond sighed.

"I wonder who upset her" Do mused aloud, biting her lip.

"I don't think that matters at this point. She's over it but… I just hope her object of affections today is receptive."

Do nodded in agreement swiping at her bangs, the only part of her hair left out of her pony tail, and regarded the wall clock in attempts to look away from So's over joyed face.

"Ack!" she made a noise that made So jump and Ko flinch. Was that sound human?

"We're late!" at least her words still made sense… Oh hey, they were late.

Ko laughed and pocketed a wallet, the slightly bulky item making the pocket of her short shorts bugle. Do snatched up a large brown bag, she wasn't quite sure how to pronounce the brand name… Gucci, was it, and shouldered it while she gently pushed So out the door. The small woman frowned but let herself be lead, grabbing her own, white purse on the way out, running her fingers idly over the lace detail.

A quick trip down on the elevator, they were on the tenth floor along with everyone else, and they found themselves in the lobby within sight of their group all gathered together.

Sasakibe was handing out little booklets to the milling shinigami and the girls slipped into the crowd with hopes that their tardiness would not be noticed.

So came up to Shuhei's side, smiling up at him. He seemed a little surprised by her initial appearance but smiled back anyway.

"Morning So."

"Morning" she chirped. "What cha planning to do ta day?"

"Me?" he asked. "Uh, not sure yet actually."

"We should hang out" she suggested, her tone sweet though the look on her face, a smile quite similar to the one Unohana was so good at, hinted that any answer but sure or some variation of it would result in unpleasant consequences for himself.

Madoka sighed as she saw it. She hated that face too. So could be so manipulative at times.

Shuhei felt sweat suddenly beading on his forehead, a sense of doom radiating about him. "A-Alright" he nodded. "What do you want to do?"

Sasakibe came around, handing both of them the little pocket travel guides and So flipped immediately to the restaurants page.

"I wanna go there, n there, n there, n there, n there" she continued, pointing at each of the restaurant names as she went.

He sighed, palm coming flat against his forehead, an already tired smile on his face. "You want to go to all of the restaurants?"

She nodded, beaming.

If it was anyone else he would have thought that a simple exaggeration but since it was So he knew she meant it. Another sigh. Something told him defiance right now would be detrimental to his wellbeing so he nodded again giving a less than enthusiastic "will do." What was up with her? Sure this was something rather expected but, the look on her face, it bothered him. It was like she was bullying him into this without really bullying him… Maybe he was just imagining things…

He'd ask Madoka later.

The group fell silent as Yamamoto spoke, a general warning not to get into trouble, and then dismissed them to have fun.

So waved as Ko dragged Akon away by the hand and Do linked arms with Renji the two of them sauntering away with smiles on their faces.

She grabbed onto Shuhei's hand and gave a slight tug, sending a sweet, real smile his way this time and he began walking too.

He almost stopped when they passed Kenpachi, assuming he'd be coming along, but So pulled him harder, speeding up. Had she just glared at him? What the hell? Did they have a fight?

She did glare at him, and Kenpachi frowned as she passed but said nothing. What was there to say? And how could he say it feeling like he did?

Ever since that stupid conversation with Yumichika and Yachiru two days ago his mind was a jumble. 'You fit' that was what the priss had said and for a little while his sick mind had entertained the thought, pictured her as a devout little lover, a mother for Yachiru, someone to love him. The thoughts had been brief and, much to his dismay, enjoyable, pleasurable. And then he realized they would never happen.

He did not have a good track record with women, did not have much, if any experience in the way of love. Sure he'd been around the block, had his flings and one night stands but nothing was ever permanent, no commitment, no feelings.

And she was… well she was herself, she was So, all softness and shyness and femininity. Sure she was a fierce warrior in battle but that seemed to be a secondary nature, something she tried to suppress around polite company, something he thought she might be vaguely ashamed of. To be with someone even more brutal, someone who embraced their inner beast would be impossible for her, wouldn't it?

She would never want him, and he couldn't want her… He didn't damn it! And that's what he told himself, over and over again for the past few days. Inadvertently he'd gone to ignoring her, subconsciously annoyed with her for all of this, and now she seemed to be angry.

Fine, let her be… He just wished she wouldn't hold Hisagi's hand, wished her dress didn't seem so short, the chest so tight. She was attractive and that was bad. If he found out she'd gotten harassed while that punk was watching her, he'd pay.

Hisagi himself didn't mind her clothes so much, or her hand in his. He didn't know about Kenpachi's personal vow against him and was content to walk with So sans worry. He'd gotten used to her grabby hands and she seemed in a better mood now that they were outside. Was it really Kenpachi she was mad at?

"Did you have a fight?" he found the words falling from his mouth before he could stop them and she pursed her lips in a pout.

"Nah" she shook her head "buh he kept ignoring me. I don't even know why."

She suddenly looked very sad and Shuhei sighed. That was no good. Why couldn't she be having some positive emotions today?

Looking around the busy street he wondered if he could find something to cheer her up with, a grin stretching over his face as it came into view. A music shop!

He tugged on her hand gently, redirecting her and she blinked curiously at the shop as they stepped inside.

"Oh" she breathed, looking around. "Are these instruments?"

"Sure are" he smiled, walking over to a wall of guitars on display. "These are called guitars. I can play em… Kinda" he chuckled.

"Ooh! Play a song, play a song!" she clapped like an excited child and he gave a slow nod, picking up an acoustic. He was glad to find it in tune when he ran his fingers over the strings.

With a deep breath he began playing something slow. He'd tried with the faster songs before and still some of their subordinates back at the ninth went running when they saw him with his instrument in hand. This was a song he'd practiced plenty of times though. A love song, popular in the soul society, that he'd planned to serenade Rangiku with one day.

So smiled at its familiarity and, much to his surprise, began to sing. Her voice was airy and high, sweet. He had no idea she could sing like that. Sure he'd heard her silly little working songs, usually muttered under her breath and at impossible, fluctuating keys but he'd never heard her actually sing. Though sweet her singing was also bold, voice much louder than it ever reached when she was talking.

As her eyes fell closed and she really got into the music he grinned and kept on with a new sort of musical motivation.

Patrons in the store and outside began to gather, watching them and he knew she'd be mortified when she opened her eyes to see them, but for now the music was all that mattered. The song concluded and she opened her eyes, beaming.

When the crowed clapped she gave a startled yelp and dove behind Shuhei who laughed and thanked them for the both of them. He put the guitar down and they made for the door, pausing to receive praise from random patrons, So blushing the whole way.

Out of the store, her mood much improved, they wandered down the street to the first of many restaurant conquests, So going blissfully unaware of the gaze following her as she skipped at Shuhei's side. Kenpachi was thoroughly pissed.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Matsumoto asked and when the large man looked she seemed miffed at the least. Guess she did have feelings for that tattooed punk.

Kenpachi turned in the opposite direction of where they were going, the blond following as the rest of the group looked concerned between the two.

"Why are Kenny and Boobies so upset Feather-Brow?" Yachiru asked, perching herself on his shoulder as he gave a curt reply of "because they're stubborn" a disapproving glance thrown their way.

_When I look around  
>You're all I see<br>This avoidance elegy  
>It's killing me. <em>

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><p><strong>Wadaya think? That crappy little verse at the end is part of a poem I wrote I duno how long ago that I found while cleaning out my files. XD It inspired me and I thought I'd throw a chunk of it down here. Now, for some of my commentary in which I try to explain the working of my brain to you, my almost surely mildly confused reader! First, So being angry at being ignored. <strong>

**She's a spoiled brat. Usually she doesn't let it show or gets her way which keeps her rather complacent, she's even usually okay when people say no but, they have to give her a reason, a good one, when they are going to deny her. There is no rhyme or reason for Kenpachi's strange behavior and that ticks her off so that's that. **

**She's a little pushy/mean with Shuhei because she doesn't want him up and running off too so she makes it clear in the most subtle of ways that if he tries it she is going to throw a tantrum at the least. Do and Ko are aware of this. They do not approve. **

**Um, I think I explained Kenpachi's upsetness pretty well. More of that, I want what I can't have thing and honestly it really can be that frustrating so I think it's believable and I think it's something he'd have an issue with. All this hard work to get something he wanted, to get to a place he wanted, and now he's come upon something that he sees as really far out of reach. I'd be mad. **

**Oh, and if you can't tell, I ship Shuhei and Rangiku. XD A lot of my ships will be apparent by the end of these chapters.**

**Uh... I think that's it for my Tl;Dr authors note. Got any questions, comments, or suggestions, throw em my way! Thanks for reading!**


	23. Drunken Questions

**Warning! This chapter contains drinking, smoking, and shinigami shenanigans as well as hints at several ships that the author favors! If any of these things are offensive to you, well uh, skip to the end? Then you've gotta deal with a drunken So, but whatever! **

**Anyway though, that out of the way, I had fun writing this and I hope you guys have fun reading it~ Drunk So is super fun to wright, too bad this won't happen too often XD Uh, I don't have much else to say at this juncture so, read and enjoy! **

**Oh and as always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do. Yoru still belongs to my friend even if he isn't in this chapter. XD And these people are awesome:**

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, XxFlizanxX, , XxDarkAngel1127xX, Chocoholics Unite, Koinu-sama, RyokoSon, and CrimsonLaurana. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

**Also thanks to those of you who just read, you're wonderful too!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 23 Drunken Questions<p>

So was smashed. Not tipsy. Not drunk. Smashed, completely and utterly.

Mori hadn't been lying when he said the little lady was a lightweight all those months ago and now Shuhei was kind of regretting not recalling that warning.

It wasn't all his fault though! Renji and Makoto were just as much to blame, with their stupid drinking games and distracting Madoka from keeping So sober.

It hadn't been in his plans to drink at all today, a hangover on vacation was the worst thing ever, but then they ran into each other.

It was probably about ten at night when they came across each other. They'd all decided to forgo dinner at the ryoken for a night out and had met in a plaza by accident.

Madoka and Renji had had a very productive day, if the shopping bags in hand were any indication and they were completely cheerful, jovial even after a fun day together. They'd been looking for a place to have diner and decided to tag along.

Makoto and Akon had just come from the closed amusement park, having successfully ridden every rollercoaster there was to offer. Akon was carrying a sugar crashed Ko on his back and they thought she ought to eat something that wasn't funnel cake, a candy apple, or cotton candy.

And So and Shuhei were, as So had wanted, looking to conquer the next restaurant on her nearly cleared list of places to go.

They found the place pretty quick, everyone laughing and retelling their day, got a booth in the back and ordered something to eat.

Everything was going fine until Renji decided he wanted a beer.

"Let's order a round" he suggested to the men at the table. Akon surprisingly agreed right away while Shuhei took a moment to think about it. Once again, he hadn't planned to drink. Renji ordered anyway though and soon there was a brown bottle in front of him, one So was eyeing curiously.

"Wasit?" she asked, less than familiar with this world's brand of drinks. She'd had her first soda today for goodness sake.

"Ah, it's alcohol. You wouldn't like it" he smiled and she frowned.

"'Ow da you know?"

"Well you don't drink do you?"

"Only cause they won't let me" she pouted.

Madoka laughed nervously. "It's just… You're such a light weight sweetie."

Her pout deepened and Renji laughed, swinging a arm over Do's shoulders. "Aw come on! Lighten up ladies. You wanna try some?" he asked, shaking the bottle in front of her face.

"I-I really shouldn't" Do said, though the temptation was there.

Meanwhile Ko simply swiped Akon's bottle, taking a sip for herself. Thanks to alterations by Mayuri her metabolism was so high it was near to impossible for her to get drunk. "S'okay" she shrugged.

"Please?" So asked. "Just a little?"

Shuhei reluctantly handed over his drink while Do hesitantly took Renji's and from there, things just sort of spiraled.

So thought the beer was okay but confessed that she'd like something sweet better and almost ordered juice. Ko suggested a cosmo instead and forgot to say virgin. Do found out she liked margaritas, particularly the blue raspberry ones and then, the shots happened.

Akon and Ko shared a mutual love for tequila and ordered several shots be brought to the table. Once they were there a rousing game of never have I ever ensued at the suggestion of Renji.

It was surprising how often the girls had to drink.

"Never have I ever fantasized about my captain" Akon said. Ko drank unashamedly, grinning, Shuhei swallowed his shame with a red face.

"W-Which one?" Madoka asked, by then very tipsy, and the tattooed man declined to state, face matching Renji's hair.

"Never have I ever gone streaking" Shuhei spouted and nearly choked when all three girls downed a shot.

"C-Captain?"

"Dun aks" she slurred, laughing.

"Never have I ever fantasized about any Captain" Renji supplied, eyebrows shooting up when all three girls drank again with the addition of Shuhei.

"Is it who I think it is Madoka?" he asked.

"M-Maybe" she drawled, blushing.

Ko laughed "I know who it is!"

Do smacked her in the back of the head and made her promise not to tell.

"Never ave I ever… kissed a girl" So managed, trying to keep her speech straight.

All the men drank, as did the other two ladies at the table.

"We've gotta talk more" Akon laughed to Ko who nodded while Renji and Shuhei continued to stare at a still blushing Do.

This continued for roughly an hour before the place had to close down and they all stumbled onto the street.

And So was smashed. Completely and utterly smashed.

She giggled and fell heavy against the wall of the building once outside. It had been a struggle for her to get up and walking in a straight line was impossible. Ko seemed to find it really funny and Do was completely unconcerned, fully occupied with picking at the buttons on her shirt.

"So tight" he could've sworn he heard her mumble.

"You gonna be okay So?" he asked as she slumped to the ground suddenly.

She giggled some more. "Yesh" she slurred. "'m so feel right now."

What? He didn't even. "Okay" he nodded "you're not walking. Upsy-daisy princess" he grinned, lifting her into a princess carry while she squealed with delight. It probably wasn't good that she was shit faced, it was actually probably very, very bad but, at the moment this was fun. She was so tiny and cute! And so light! He bet he could bench press her and was very tempted to try.

No! The small, still clear part of his head protested and he instead began walking in what he thought was the direction of their hotel.

At some point Ko requested that Akon carry her again and she pounced up on his back with a cheerful laugh. "Go horsey go!"

"I thought you weren't drunk" Renji said, punctuation his statement with a hiccough.

"I'm not" she said, smiling bright.

"She does this about twice a week" the usually horned man supplied, pausing to pull a cigarette from his pocket. Apparently playing horsey for the blond required a smoke. She 'oohed' and 'ahhed' at the flame of his lighter, frowning when he put it away, but then cheered happily as he secured his hands under her thighs and began running.

Everyone blinked after them as they darted ahead and So pointed from her place in Shuhei's arms. "Catss em!" He assumed she meant catch them and held her tighter, giving chase.

Renji looked over at Madoka, she looked back and laughed. "S-Should we f-follow?" she stuttered as she tried to keep from sounding incoherent.

Renji just grinned devilishly and tossed her over his shoulder, one hand holding her securely by the rump as he chased after the other two. She gave a startled yelp as he groped her and he apologized, swearing that it was an accident. It was mostly.

They chased each other down the quiet, dark streets, laughing and hollering, being a general but fast moving disturbance.

They did burn out though and by the time they came close to their destination they were all panting, the men from running the women from laughing, and walking at a sluggish pace. Drunken chatter commenced for the last block or so.

"Wish 'aptan uz it Shushu?" So asked, grabbing onto the man's face so that she could make him look at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Wish on'daya like? Me, er Tos-Tosh-Tooshie-"

"Tosen?" he suggested.

"Y-Yeah, im."

"I'm not telling" he laughed.

"Why not?" she whined.

"Cause you'll laugh at me either way."

"N-Nah ah won't"

"Don't lie princess" he scolded playfully. She giggled.

"Wh're ya callin meh prinshesh?" she asked.

"You just… look like one. To me. Right now… Yeah. Shoulda bought you a crown or something."

"Dos that make ya ah prince? Sins yer carin me?"

He laughed. "I don't know. Does it?"

They stepped into the lobby, group still chattering and missed the gazes from a gathering of their, less than happy, comrades all sitting in a circle in the little lounge area.

There was Rukia, Byakuya, Rangiku, Kenpachi, and for some strange reason Mayuri all sitting there looking varied degrees of pissed, except for Rukia who just looked a little sad.

Ko noticed them first and waved happily calling "hey Cap! Bein' social?"

Everyone turned at her call and also waved, greeting their friends and acquaintances before they started over. The men were still holding the girls.

"Hello everyone" Rukia was the only one in their group to speak up. "Looks like you're all having fun. "

"Yeah! We had a pretty great night" Renji nodded, patting a squirming Madoka's backside again to punctuate his point. She smacked him in the back of the head and he apologized again. That time was slightly less of an accident.

"That's good" the small woman smiled a little sadly. Renji didn't seem to notice and she fell silent, Matsumoto speaking up.

"Did you have fun Shuhei?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest in the universal sign of an unamused woman.

"Oh yeah" he grinned. "Princess here had her first beer. Knocked ya off your feet didn't it So?" he laughed and she giggled again, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Isa like cosmos 'etter" she sighed.

"Fuckin lightweight" Kenpachi growled, not amused.

"So what!" So retorted with another laugh, kicking her legs out excitedly.

"Don't tell me you're drunk as well" Mayuri scowled at Ko, seemingly uncaring of Akon's sobriety.

"Course not Cap" she smiled. "You know I can't get drunk, ya upped my metabolism remember, I've got a super filter for a liver and its working great!"

Something about that seemed to please him.

Madoka yawned and tugged gently on Renji's hair. "I'm tired."

"I'll take you to your room then" the red head smiled, waving at everyone. "Night guys!" Madoka waved sleepily as he carried her away and as soon as they were out of sight Byakuya and Rukia wandered off outside.

Akon looked back at Ko "you tired?"

"Nope!"

"I think there's a all-night bar down the street."

"More shots?" the blond smiled devilishly.

"Vodka?"

"Hell yeah!" Ko liked to take advantage of the whole, not getting drunk thing. 'Wanna come Cap?" she invited, Akon making no protests.

Slowly the blue haired man nodded, getting up to follow them out of the building, leaving So, Shuhei, Kenpachi, and Matsumoto.

Kenpachi stood and walked over to Shuhei, looking down at the shorter man menacingly. "Hand er over" he ordered and Shuhei frowned.

"What? Why?" What did Zaraki want with his Captain?

"We gotta talk, hand er over and go talk with the woman on the couch."

Shuhei peered around him to see Rangiku looking off at the far wall as if it were extremely interesting.

"S-Sokay Shuhei. Isa wana talk wit im too" So told him, holding her arms out to Kenpachi.

He grabbed her up easily and stalked away down a hallway, So waving to Shuhei as he went out of view.

Her gaze wandered up to a somber looking Kenpachi as everything else disappeared and she frowned.

"Can't walk?" he asked.

"Might fall" she replied, resting her head against his chest.

He grunted in reply and set her down suddenly. When had they reached a ballroom? And why were they there?

"Wha-" she began.

"Hush"

He pulled up a chair of his own and sat in front of her, leaning back so that he could look anywhere but at her.

She sat patiently, quietly, for three minutes and then he found her in his lap, dress spread across her knees as she straddled him.

"Ken?" she asked looking up at him with big blue eyes all curious, soft pink lips pouting.

He grunted again.

"Ken, did ah do shomthing wrong? Are chu mad?" she asked, trying hard not to slur her words. These questions were important damn it! Even if she couldn't quite remember why.

He looked away from her and she frowned. "Lhook at me" she demanded, small hands raising up to grab the sides of his face and turn his gaze back to her. "W-What'd ah do?"

"Nothin" he growled out.

"T-then why…" she trailed off, not completely sure how to say what she wanted to ask. Alcohol was rather detrimental to thinking it seemed. She sighed sadly and sat up on her knees to be better level with his face.

They watched each other for a long moment before she leaned forward, arms coming up to hug him around his neck while she rested her head against him. "Ah like you" she sighed against his skin, closing her eyes. "Don't cha like meh too?"

She swayed and he rested his hands on her hips, pushing down slightly to guide her back to a more stable seated position. She let herself be guided, head and hands sliding down to rest on his chest where she snuggled close, one finger tracing idle patterns against his t shirt while the other hand slid around to hug him.

"Well?" she asked after the silence had become too much.

He said nothing, just stood, holding her close to his chest and began walking, out of the ball room, down the hall, through the lobby and into the elevator.

She looked up at him with a pout and he ran his hand idly up and down her back making her relax. A soft yawn escaped her.

Tenth floor and the bell gave a chime. He stepped out and carried her to her room, setting her on unsteady feet at the door.

"Ken?" she asked, turning to look up at him. He knocked on the door and didn't look down.

"Yer gonna have one hell of a hangover in the morning." Was his last flippant comment before he stalked away, leaving her in the care of the bleary eyed woman who answered the door.

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><p><strong>Could anybody spot my ships? XD I think they might be obvious, but maybe not. Anyway, that last little interaction with Kenpachi, though kinda serious, was amazing fun to write. Seeing So take some initiative was nice for me and I hope you all enjoyed it too~ <strong>

**It was also fun to write Kenpachi for this chapter, even though he didn't say much. I like the idea of going to talk to somebody and then not knowing what to say. It's something that happens to all of us and I think it might be a problem he'd have frequently since personally I think he's a deep thinker but at times lacks eloquence. **

**Did I mention writing drunk So is fun? Cause it's really really fun XD**

**Anyway, comment, question, suggest anything ya want to me! Feed back is loved but if you don't have any well, thanks for reading anyway~**


	24. Bath Time Confessions

**Fun fact! I originally had this chapter and chapter 23 merged. The title was "Drunken Question, Bath Time Confessions" and I thought it was the catchiest thing in the world. Then I started writing and realized it would be too god awfully long and have no unity what so ever when time jumped so I split them. **

**Anyway, fun fact over. This chapter is actually kinda short, only about three pages on word, but it does it's job and I really hope you enjoy! Oh, and go take a look at chapter 18 I think it was "Welcome to the Club". I found a typo and turned it into a funny little thing.**

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So and Ko and Do. Yoru still belongs to my friend even if he isn't in this chapter. XD And these people are awesome:**

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, XxFlizanxX, , XxDarkAngel1127xX, Chocoholics Unite, Koinu-sama, RyokoSon, and CrimsonLaurana. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

**Also thanks to those of you who just read, you're wonderful too!**

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><p>Chapter 24 Bath Time Confessions<p>

Kenpachi had been right about the hangover.

So was sure that if it wasn't for Ko and her amazing squad twelve hangover remedy she would have been incapacitated for the rest of the trip. She had never felt so awful.

As things were, she still had a bit of a head ache and she was pretty sure the level of emptiness in her stomach was a crime but, more than anything she needed a bath.

Usually she took three a day. She'd only taken one the day previous and felt absolutely filthy.

If you were to ask anyone looking at her they'd say she looked, and smelled, fine but she was very critical with herself about her hygiene. Baths could not be skipped.

And so she was up at this terrible hour of the am, six, not too terrible if it weren't for the hangover, and heading down to the bath in what she thought was a terribly plain hotel yukata.

It would do anyway.

She reached the baths and frowned. The sound of several female voices rang out from the woman's bath… She did not want to deal with other people right now. The men's bath was silent but that was an obvious no… Her eyes drifted to the bath labeled unisex.

Ah, her old friend.

Mood a little improved she stepped in, dressed down and headed for the showers.

Was this how he'd felt all those months ago, startled and a little put off to find someone else in his quiet place? Probably, only minus the terrible embarrassment she was feeling in addition. She didn't remember too much from the night before but she could remember most of their conversation.

Her face flushed bright red while Kenpachi turned to regard her lazily.

"Morning" he nodded.

"M-Morning" she replied, clutching her towel a little tighter.

He turned away and she sat down at the shower one away from him, her towel dropping to her lap as she sat, hair falling in place to keep her modest.

The room fell to silence again, So busily washing her hair while Kenpachi scrubbed his body. Considering how awkward things could be she decided it wasn't that bad and tried not to let her mind wander into some crazy place that would send her into a nervous tizzy.

She rinsed her hair at the same time that he rinsed his body and dropped her body wash as she saw him go to lather his hair with the soap.

"Stop" she said, a little louder than she'd meant to and he looked over at her, a bored expression on his face.

"What?" he asked.

"Thas bad for your hair… Wash it with shampoo."

"I can't style it then" he answered.

She frowned and muttered softly "Ah… Ah like it better down."

He grumbled something under his breath at that but put down the soap.

She beamed at him. "Want me ta wash it for ya?"

"Why the hell not" he shrugged and she stood quickly, moving over to him.

He let a sigh escape him as she began working the shampoo into his hair, small fingers massaging his scalp gently with practiced ease. If she ever decided to quit being a shinigami he was pretty sure she could open up a salon. He'd pay for this at least, though not if she was willing to give for free.

She pulled all of his hair back and he let his head follow, leaning back to rest on her chest. It was quite comfortable with her small but soft breast serving as pillows, quite the surprise.

He looked up at her and she smiled, a light blush tinting her cheeks. It was pretty he decided and then closed his eyes, body relaxing as he hummed his appreciation.

"It's really soft you know" she practically whispered. "When you take care of it."

"Pain in the ass" he replied lowly, flinching and then laughing when she pinched him.

"Take care of it" she ordered, picking up the bucket to pour water over his head, washing the soap away.

He wiped suds out of his eyes and turned on the shower, rinsing his hair the rest of the way. "Why don't ye take care of it for me?" he suggested as she returned to her shower, soaping up her body quickly.

She hummed thoughtfully and shrugged. He stood.

"I'll be in the bath."

She sighed happily when he was gone. He was talking to her again! And it wasn't so terribly awkward even after her drunken confession… Maybe he hadn't understood her. She was pretty drunk and she didn't get the whole, 'liking' someone thing at first either.

She stood, rinsing herself nice and clean and wandered to the bath where he was waiting.

"Hajo" she quipped, slipping into steamy water beside him.

He let his gaze stray her way and nodded, one arm rising out of the water to drape around her shoulders. She slid closer in response, legs bumping his, head resting on his chest.

Yep, this was all back to normal.

"You remember anything ye said last night?" he asked.

Or not! Her face flushed and she nodded.

"Didn't mean it did ye?" Did he sound sad? She was pretty sure he sounded sad.

She shook her head "A-ah meant it." The blush grew brighter "ah like you."

"Huh" he replied, and said nothing more. His hand ran up and down her shoulder as they sat there and soaked in silence.

Was that it? Did he have nothing else to say? Didn't he like her too?

"Kenpachi?" she tried softly and got a gentle squeeze in reply.

Sighing she rested her head on his chest and fell silent. If he didn't want to talk she couldn't make him. At least he wasn't ignoring her anymore. And speaking of ignoring.

"Do ya wanna go ta the festival Ken? Ya know, together?" she gazed up at him. "Ah wanted ta be wit ya yesterday buh ya kept ignorin me."

He nodded "sure" and she smiled.

That wasn't exactly what she'd wanted to get out of this conversation but she was happy to know that he would spend the day with her, even if he didn't like her back.

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><p><strong>Well? What'd you all think? Were you unsatisfied with his silence or did you think it was a good thing? I'm a little bit of both honestly XD Even though I'm the one who wrote it and I'm glad he kept his mouth shut I'm also a little peeved that he didn't give So much if any reply again. That must be weird of me though... Eh, whatever, I'm a weird chick. <strong>

**Any comments, questions, or suggestions? Send me a review, I'd love to hear your thoughts! But if not, well, I'm just glad you read so thanks!**


	25. Firework Heart

**This chapter gave me so much trouble! I finally pushed through though and made something that I hope you all will like. It was mostly getting it going that had me tripped p. Initially there was a lot of dialogue that didn't do much but take up space and so I started taking it out. Things got a lot better from there and I continued in that way, resulting in a chapter sparse on dialogue and heavy in character thought. I hope you all don't mind and enjoy what I wrote. **

**As always I don't own Bleach, just So, Do, and Ko. Yoru of course belongs to my friend~ And these people are amazing! **

**Sushii-Kun, gnarly, lisamariem, Kira Carmen, Chocoholics Unite, Insanity-Red, Sou desu ka. Meh. Kami korosu, Inspired Kid, eternalwings15, LuCkY-StAr69, ISgrl15, Nightshade's Deadly Beauty, Goldensaurus, WiseDragonQueen5, Silverveign, TalonNight, Devious Cherub, Alix117, suney, ShyxSkater, Aku Tora, wolfjerawr, XxFlizanxX, , XxDarkAngel1127xX, Chocoholics Unite, Koinu-sama, RyokoSon, CrimsonLaurana, Ducky the Insomniac Panda, Ryanarima, RayC736, BloodieReader, and hapezibah. Along with anonymous reviewers Doop and Lee who I am sorry to say I forgot and other reviewers funny-kitty, Queen-of-Twilights, and NIGHTSCREAM. I'm so sorry I almost forgot you guys but here's the shout out you rightfully deserve. You're all amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart~ **

**Also thanks to those of you who just read, you're wonderful too!**

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><p>Chapter 25 Firework Heart<p>

It took So three hours to get ready.

Two of those hours were used on her hair. Aided by both Do and Ko she managed one of her more difficult braid jobs. The other hour was getting dressed and worrying that she didn't look okay, which was unusual because she was mostly very confident in her appearance.

"Ya look fine wifey!" Ko stated for what seemed to be the thousandth time as So stood before the mirror, looking herself over.

They were about to get going and she just wanted to make sure.

She did like how she looked over all. Her hair was braided in a way most people would never be able to manage. It started out as two separate pigtails, the braid beginning low at her shoulder. It continued that way till her lower back where the two braids came together, making a loop. The excess hair was also braided and fell to her knees, tied off by a red ribbon. Her hair was peppered everywhere with red and white poppy shaped kanzashi. In the front her bangs were swept back, a row of three white clips running along the right side of her head. It had taken her forever to get them just right and even now she was tapping at them lightly, wondering if they looked okay.

She stopped fussing with them though and focused in on her yukata, brushing her fingers gently across the smooth fabric to check for wrinkles. It wasn't the one she'd brought from home, this one was new, bought yesterday because she liked it. The color was a fade from red to white, the shade deep around the collar, bottom, and the ends of the sleeves leaving the center white. Where the color was darkest the shapes of poppies were lined in white and in the middle a few were lined in red. The obi was red too and tied nice and tight around her waist. She wondered for a moment if the bow was crooked and wished she could see behind her a little better.

"Come on So" Do chirped, breaking her thoughts with a gentle hand to her back. "You look fine, I'm sure Zaraki will be quite pleased."

"Neh!" So fussed, turning her head sharply to frown at the other woman, never minding the blush on her face.

They left the room along with Ko and took a short ride down on the elevator and to the main lobby. Just like yesterday their friends and comrades were gathered together, some in yukata some in regular street clothes. Everyone was talking excitedly about their plans for the day, it was only noon but that was when a lot of the booths opened up and different contests and events started. Everyone standing around looked ready to go and So hoped they hadn't held anything up.

They entered the little group quietly, Ko branching off quickly to go to Mayuri's side. At the same time Do stepped a little nearer to Byakuya, her tan cheeks blushing burgundy. So wanted to laugh at both of them, so eager and nervous for the day, but couldn't because she was feeling the exact same way.

She came up behind Kenpachi and reached out to gently tug at his sleeve. He was wearing a deep blue yukata to her surprise, and had left his hair down. When he turned to regard her she took note of the way it fell and framed his face and decided that she very much preferred this to his usual style.

"There ye are" he said, looking her over slowly. She looked… good, pretty. It was different, not to say that she wasn't usually pretty but it was understated. She was actually wearing something that fit and was dressy and… why was he even thinking about this?

He caught her eye and she smiled, he allowed himself a grin and then a slight grunt when Yachiru, robed in pink and white, launched herself onto his shoulder and then into So's arms.

"Hi Tiny!" she cheered. "You look super pretty! I really like your yukata, do you like mine? Feather Brow got it for me for tanbata but I didn't get to wear it, now I can." She smiled big and hugged So around the shoulders while the small woman laughed.

She dislodged the pinket, making her stand still so she could get a good look at her. The yukata was the same bright bubblegum pink as Yachiru's hair and pattered with white roses. It was very pretty and So gave a smile of her own nodding.

"Isa very pretty 'Chiru."

The girl squealed her delight and hugged So again with a laugh.

The group quieted as Yamamoto spoke for a moment about the different things going on today, Sasakibe handing out even more of the little pamphlets.

So read through hers excitedly as Yamamoto dismissed them all to their day and Kenpachi, not willing to just stand around, grabbed her up and sat her on his shoulder. Yachiru took up her place on his other shoulder while Yumichika and Ikkaku fell into step just a bit behind him.

"Let's go here!" Yachiru shouted, looking into her pamphlet. She seemed fixated on theme parks.

"'N here!" So chirped excitedly, pointing at a restaurant she'd apparently missed the day previous.

He nodded, willing to appease their requests as long as they could show him the way and turned to look over his shoulder at the other two men present. He silently questioned whether there was anywhere they'd like to go and both shot back shrugs, meaning the girls had free choice of all activities for the day.

All around them the town was lively and festive, children and adults alike running about and enjoying themselves.

Their little group garnered a few glances, people amazed at his hugeness and at the two tiny persons on his shoulders, along with the somewhat effeminate man and the bald –not bald damn it!- barefoot man with the wooden sword.

They wandered from place to place, sitting down in a restaurant only once to appease So, and spent the bulk of their time playing stall games and eating street food. Sometimes the girls would walk, in more crowded areas they would ride. A few times they were stopped by random passersby who asked to take pictures with So. She allowed it but Kenpachi always made sure press his aura of killing intent upon any male that approached.

They usually got the hint and ran off right after, if not... He hadn't gotten any blood on his clothes _yet._

It continued in this way for several hours and as seven o' clock approached, the sun going down, Kenpachi found himself sitting on a park bench just in front of a playground. He and So were watching Yachiru play while they took a break, Yumichika and Ikkaku busy in a sword shop across the street.

His lieutenant was having a good time it appeared, laughing and chasing with the other children. He hoped she wouldn't rip her yukata, Yumichika would have a fit, but if it happened he wouldn't be too mad.

Next to him was So, smiling softly, looking dreamy eyed. What was she thinking, he wondered. Why was she smiling like that?

Her expression changed quickly to one of worry as a child fell down and began to wail. Kenpachi scowled. Crying wasn't going to get him anywhere… except it did when his mother came rushing over and picked him, cooing to him and cuddling him as she assessed the little scrape on his knee.

How was he supposed to get any stronger if she did that for him? The kid needed to learn to pick himself up and stop being a damn cry baby.

Folding his arms over his chest Kenpachi nearly vocalized this thought but stopped when he realized that gentle smile was back on her face. His words might take it away and he didn't want to risk ruining something so pretty… What? Disregard that stray thought.

Instead he focused back on the pink wonder that was Yachiru. Moments ago she'd been lively but now she was taking a pause to watch the hurt child and his mother. Something that Kenpachi couldn't quite decipher, longing maybe, jealousy, was on her face and in her eyes.

It went away as soon as she took her eyes off the quieting boy and she went back to running about but he felt uncomfortable about it and tried not to think too hard on its implications. She had always been without a mother…

He pushed the thoughts away, rather easy when So was suddenly leaning against him, and continued to watch with not a thought in his head.

It was nice, but only lasted for a little while.

Probably only five minutes later Yachiru took a tumble. It wasn't anything too hard, he knew she was a durable little brat, and if anything she'd only scraped up her palms some but she just sat there, looking down at her knees and the rubbery false asphalt beneath them. She didn't cry or anything, just sat there looking and he wondered what in the hell was wrong with her.

A few of the other children stopped playing, looking concerned, a few of the mothers looked at each other starting to rise, and Kenpachi frowned. What was she doing?

The warm weight of So leaning against his right side was abruptly gone and he saw her petite form moving towards the fallen child. The mothers settled down, the other children moving away a little to give her room.

"You okay Chiru?" So asked with a gentle smile and the little girl looked up.

She was very quiet, just looking at So for the longest time. Quietly she said "I never had a mommy to pick me up."

So smiled a little wider and grabbed the girl under her arms, lifting her onto her hip. She smoothed the girl's pink hair with a gentle hand and kissed her cheek softly.

Yachiru managed a little bit of her usual smile as So looked over her hands, a little scraped but nothing too bad. When she went to put her down the pinket held on tighter and So gave a small laugh, going to return to the bench.

Behind her a call of "you have a pretty mommy!" sounded and she laughed a little harder, taking her seat beside Kenpachi again.

He stiffened up just a little. That comment hadn't gone unheard to him; neither of them had given his particularly good sense of hearing and he felt guilty, not for the first time, about denying Yachiru the mother she obviously wanted. He had no qualms about raising her as he had, teaching her to stand on her own two feet, but he understood that she had been aware of that lack of tenderness her upbringing was filled with.

And it seemed So was willing to fill that gap, if only temporarily and it made him feel. What it was he felt he wasn't quite sure but he did feel something, something positive but, shaky? He just didn't know.

So knew what she felt though, very happy to comfort the child. She had a mother of her own, but the tender moments where her scrapes and scratches would be kissed and tended had passed in the blink of an eye. She had been left to lick her wounds in private once she'd turned five and understood the pain of having no one there to pick you up when you were down.

She was happy to help take that pain away, especially for such a sweet little girl.

For a while they all just sat there. Yachiru in So's lap, So leaning against Kenpachi again. At some point he'd draped his arm around her shoulders as seemed to be becoming habit and they watched the sunset over the playground.

Yumichika and Ikkaku hadn't been sure if they should bother the cozy looking trio but when they did everyone agreed to move on with no problem. Yachiru still wanted to go to the theme park after all and that was where all of the excitement was to happen now that the sun was down.

They rode a few rides when they got there, two spinning ones, a swinging one, something called a rollercoaster that So decided she would never ride again, and ate some more food that was probably terrible for them, laughing and joking and having a good time as they went along.

They ran into a few groups of friends: Ko and Mayuri, sharing a candy apple, Byakuya, Renji, Do, and Rukia, the ladies carrying a bear and Chappi plushie respectively, Matsumoto and Shuhei, both slightly buzzed, Yoru, Izuru, Isane, Unohana, Soi Fon, and Yoruichi oddly enough, the poor Captain looked like the ladies had run him ragged and Izuru was being used as a pack mule, and finally Toshiro and Momo each with a snow cone and water balloon yoyo's.

They all hung out for a while and Kenpachi laughed as So and Ko antagonized Do over the plushie in her hands and where she'd gotten it. The poor woman was a stuttering mess as she tried to slip under the table and he quirked a brow when Byakuya gave a faint smile and touched her arm.

Had Kuchiki made his move already? And Mayuri? The scientist, looking surprisingly normal without all that make up, was picking food off of the perky blonde's plate, a big deal for him since he was so anal about germs and all that shit.

Kenpachi's eyes trailed to So, sitting between her two friends and laughing. She caught his eye and smiled, a blush tinting her cheeks for no good reason.

She turned away, the loose hair of her bangs shielding her red face. What was he thinking? Something like… was this a date?

She hadn't thought of it really, she'd been nervous before they got out but once they were spending time together she forgot all about her anxieties but now… Her blush grew and Ko poked her in the side making her jump and squeal.

"What're ya thinkin' of wifey?" she asked grinning a wide grin full of implication.

"N-Nothin!" So insisted while the other two girls laughed at her steadily reddening face.

"I'm surprised" Do smiled. "I'd think you'd be thinking of the fireworks. They start in just a little while now."

"O-Oh" So blinked, she'd nearly forgotten about the fireworks! There was somewhere she wanted to go to watch them…

Suddenly Ko and Mayuri were up from their table, Mayuri holding tight to Ko's hand as he tugged her along muttering something while the blond laughed.

Do blinked at their sudden departure but smiled again when Byakuya stood too, much more slowly, and waited for her to come along and follow to wherever it was he wanted to take her. Not a word was spoken between them.

That left just So and Kenpachi sitting there in a mildly awkward silence. They'd lost Yachiru, Ikkaku, and Yumichika at some point quite a while ago.

After another long stretch of silence they both stood and moved to stand side by side.

Kenpachi looked down at her, shrugging one shoulder in silent questioning. Did she want a ride? Her small hand rested in his larger one and she tugged forward a little, taking a few steps as answer. Obediently he followed, curious to see where she was taking him.

They slipped through the buzzing crowd in a world of their own, filled with only the sound of their footsteps, breathing, and the soft breeze. People moved easily for them, though small So was the one leading, and soon there were no people to move past.

Dark and dingy walls closed in on both sides and they started up stone steps. The ally was dark, lit only by a few paper lanterns and the moon and stars shining bright on this clear night, despite the artificial light below. It was as if they were denying being snuffed out by the artificial beauty.

Soon even the paper lanterns were gone and she held his hand a little tighter, pulled a little harder as the passage seemed to narrow.

He wondered where they were going, what would be at the end of this crowded tunnel.

Ahead and above she could see the sky opening up and moved even faster, pushing away at the small inkling of fear that wanted to crawl into her conscious mind. Dark and cramped, so dark and cramped but at the end a light, a beauty, salvation and joy.

She let his hand go as they stepped up onto the plateau. It looked out over the entire city below and Kenpachi wondered if they were still inside the park as he looked down. How far had they gone as they walked in their little world?

She leaned against the railing that kept her from spilling over, unlike most of the other high places usually seen in this world there was no fencing.

Kenpachi liked this and rested his hands against the chilly bar, the only thing chilly in the humid night air. She scooted a little closer to him, letting one of her small hands drop over his and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, thank goodness she was on his seeing side.

She was smiling, and blushing, and looking at the sky and the only thing he wondered was what she was thinking and why she was blushing like that.

Her hand moved from his and he thought foolishly that perhaps she'd read his mind. She hadn't. She just wasn't content with standing and hopped up onto the rail with all the agility and grace expected of someone so dainty and feminine and who was also so powerful. Unceremoniously she lowered herself to sit, a little too solidly as she made her bottom hurt, and swung her dangling legs to and fro in the open air.

Her hands braced themselves on the bars, the same one as before pressing against his now. He covered it with his own and her face darkened again.

Did she… His brow furrowed. Maybe.

He squeezed her hand gently but drew his gaze away as a loud pop sounded and a light shot into the sky. It bloomed into a brilliant blossom of blue and faded, replaced quickly by other blossoms of red and yellow and green.

The air was a symphony of explosive booms, the sky a dance floor for light.

She leaned against him as the show continued, eyes bright, smile wide, and he watched too, not as amazed but glad to see something so beautiful with good company.

He didn't know how much timed passed and she didn't either. It could have been five minutes or fifty but as the last round of fireworks exploded in the sky they turned to each other. She was smiling that easy, sweet smile that used to irk him so and he gave a grin harboring the ghost of an actual, kind smile.

He could see the fireworks reflected in her eyes, a dozen tiny lights dancing and jumping then fading into the crystalline blue.

"Akane" he breathed softly, watching those blue eyes, their surprise at the vocalization of her given name, their growing nearness as he leaned in.

"K-Kenpachi" his name passed from her lips to his and her eyes disappeared from view as they closed and his closed and they were left with nothing to do but feel.

She felt the slight roughness of his chapped lips against her own. He felt her softness and the initial curve of her lips as they made their signature 'o' of surprise. She felt the callouses on his hand rubbing against her flushed cheek and into her hair. He felt the warmth of her skin and smoothness of her hair. She felt the hand on her hand move to grasp her around the waist and turn her on the bar to better face him and he felt her relax in his arms.

She kissed clumsily, not quite sure of what to do with herself, hands grasping for some sort of hold and he found it endearing. He was willing to teach her, show her, and he let the hand on her face move to grasp one of her own and guide it up his chest and to his shoulder. She grasped tight to him, pressed her mouth a little harder against his own and let it slip open as his tongue came prodding against her sealed lips.

He dominated her in the battle of tongues, she too inexperienced to match him in any way. She didn't seem to mind the submission that much and pulled herself a little closer to him as best she could. He pulled back, chuckling lightly as her nose bumped his and their lips dislodged.

She blushed hotly, looking away and he grinned down at her, kissing her warm cheeks, her nose, her chin, he brushed back her hair to nip at her ear and tugged her yukata loose around the shoulders to kiss at her neck making her gasp. That was quite a new sensation!

When he bit down on her shoulder, not hard enough to break the skin but enough to mark her, she made a noise somewhere between a mewl and a groan. He pulled back to admire the blooming red arch that his teeth made and enjoy her sounds of frustration at the suddenly gone contact, grinning at the red on white.

He made three more of these marks, an extra one on the left and two on the right making at least one visible on each side unless she took to wearing scarves or turtlenecks for the next few days. Each one he kissed lightly and then pulled back again to regard her, looking up at him with hazy, happy eyes.

He smiled, leaning down to kiss her lips again.

"Kenpachi" she sighed, hugging him about his shoulders when he released her again. She pressed a soft, almost shy kiss to his cheek and the tenderness of that gesture was almost a shock. Only almost though, and he was able to return the gesture with a hug and a lingering kiss on her forehead.

She smiled up at him, feeling wonderful and giddy, excited. Her heart was beating hard against her chest and swelling with… was it love? Could it be? Wasn't it maybe too soon? She didn't know but she liked it, it was warm and soft, a feeling of happiness inside and all around.

She wondered if he felt it too, gazing back down at her with a much softened grin, an almost smile, on his face.

She reached up for him, the new experience of kissing intoxicating and addicting, and got what she wanted in another kiss that was slightly less clumsy than the first and that had his hands roaming a little farther down than her shoulders.

"Tiny! Kenny!"

So jumped, he didn't, at the shrill and fast approaching voice of Yachiru. He laughed outright at her scramble to pull the yukata right again and was nice enough to help as he laughed.

Yachiru was on his shoulders by the time everything was set right and was beaming bright at them, though her eyes were a touch sleepy. Yumichika and Ikkaku were close behind, looking even more exhausted.

"Ready to go back Captain?" Ikkaku asked.

"I really do need my beauty sleep" Yumichika sighed.

Kenpachi nodded, stepping away from the railing, one hand holding So's tight to help her down. They stayed connected even after her feet touched the ground and Yumichika gave a slight, hidden smile at the sight, Ikkaku apparently unaware.

They all started on their walk back to civilization and as they went Yachiru piped up "Tiny, what's that on your neck?"

Yumichika's laugh wasn't nearly as hidden as his smile and the shades of red that So turned temporarily drowned out the bites.

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><p><strong>Woot! Twenty five chapters, one hundred fifty pages and I dunno how many hours and they finally, finally kiss! I was so happy to be able to finish writing this and I did it right after the end of an amazing day with my bf, his sister, and her bf who are all some of my best friends. All of my happy lovey feelings were poured into this but I still tried to keep to Kenpachi's character somewhat. I mean, this is already kinda super out of character for him but I think for a fanfic I did okay, right? Eh, if I didn't I can always fix it. I've got a good feeling about it though. <strong>

**Oh, and I wanna give a super duper extra thank you to those of you who reviewed. I don't like begging cause I figure, if you've got something to say you'll say it and begging will just force out hollow comments or compliments and I don't want that. The fact that you take the time to throw me a review, even if it's just a few words and an encouragement to update soon I feel really happy and it encourages me to write more. So yeah, super duper from the bottom of my heart thank you! I send you lots of love and happy wishes~**

**And to my followers, and faves, thanks a lot to you too. Seeing that my story's on your list of favorites or watches really makes my day =3. **

**And of course, to those who just read and go, that's for taking a look and sticking around if you have. If you just read a bit and didn't like, I'm sorry but I hope you find the fic that's perfect for you out there or can write your own.**

**Got comments, questions, or noticed a mistake? Drop a review~ Or not~ just glad you read ^^**


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